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.Oi   CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELE? 


Across  the  Salt  Seas. 


ACROSS 

THE  SALT  SEAS 

A    ROMANCE    OF    THE 
WAR    OF    SUCCESSION 

BY 

JOHN  BLOUNDELLE-BURTON 
&fc« 

AUTHOR  OF  "IN  THE  WAY  OF  ADVERSITY, 
"THE    HISPANIOLA  PLATE,"    *«A  GEN- 
TLEMAN ADVENTURER,"   ETC. 


HERBERT  S.  STONE  &  CO. 
CHICAGO  fcf  NEW  YORK 

MDCCCXCVII 


COPYRIGHT,  1897,    BY 
HERBERT   S.    STONE   &   CO. 


Across  the  Salt  Seas. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Dreams  he  of  cutting  foreign  throats,  of 
breaches,  ambuscadoes,  Spanish  blades;  of  healths 
five  fathoms  deep. — Shakespeare. 

"Phew!"  said  the  captain  of  La  Mouche 
Noire,  as  he  came  up  to  me  where  I  paced 
the  deck  by  the  after  bittacle.  "  Phew!  It 
is  a  devil  in  its  death  agonies.  What  has 
the  man  seen  and  known  ?  Fore  Gad  !  he 
makes  me  shudder  ! " 

Then  he  spat  to  leeward  —  because  he 
was  a  sailor;  also,  because  he  was  a  sailor, 
he  squinted  into  the  compass  box,  then  took 
off  his  leather  cap  and  wiped  the  warm 
drops  from  his  forehead  with  the  back  of 
his  hand. 

"Death  agonies!"  I  said.  "So!  it  is 
coming  to  that.  From  what?  Drinking, 
old  age,  or " 

"  Both,  and  more.  Yet,  when  I  shipped 
him  at  Rotterdam,  who  would  have  thought 


2125832 


4      ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

it !  Old  and  reverend-looking-,  eh,  Mr.  Cres- 
pin  ?  White  haired  —  silvery.  I  deemed 
him  some  kind  of  a  minister  —  yet,  now, 
hearken  to  him!" 

And  as  he  spoke  he  went  to  the  hatch- 
way, bent  his  head  and  shoulders  over  it, 
and  beckoned  me  to  come  and  do  likewise; 
which  gesture  I  obeyed. 

Then  I  heard  the  old  man's  voice  com- 
ing- forth  from  the  cabin  where  they  had 
got  him,  the  door  of  it  being-  open  for  sake 
of  air,  because,  in  this  tossing  sea,  the  ports 
and  scuttles  were  shut  fast  —  heard  him 
screaming,  muttering,  chuckling  and  laugh- 
ing; calling  of  healths  and  toasts;  dying 
hard! 

"  The  balustrades  1 "  he  screamed. 
"  Look  to  them.  See  I  Three  men,  their 
hands  stretched  out,  peering  down  into  the 
hall;  fingers  touching.  God!"  —  he  whis- 
pered this,  yet  still  we  heard  —  "how  can 
dead  men  stand  thus  together,  gazing  over, 
glancing  into  dark  corners,  eyes  rolling? 
See  how  yellow  the  mustee's  eyes  are  I  But 
still,  all  dead  !  Dead  !  Dead !  Dead  1  Yet 
there  they  stand,  waiting  for  us  to  come  in 
from  the  garden.  Ha !  quick  —  the  passado 
—  one  —  two  —  in  —  out  —  good  I  through 
his  midriff .  Ha !  Ha !  Ha ! "  and  he  laughed 
hideously,  then  went  on:  "The  worms 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.      5 

will  have  a  full  meal.  Or  " — after  a  pause, 
and  hissing  this:  "Was  he  dead  before? 
Hast  run  a  dead  man  through  ?  " 

"Like  this  all  day  long-,"  the  captain 
muttered  in  my  ear,  "  from  the  dawn.  And 
now  the  sun  is  setting1 ;  see  how  its  gleams 
light  up  the  hills  inland.  God's  mercy!  I 
hope  he  dies  ere  long.  I  want  not  his  howl- 
ings  through  my  ship  all  night.  Mr.  Cres- 
pin,"and  he  laid  his  hand  on  my  arm,  "will 
you  go  down  to  him,  to  service  me  ?  You 
are  a  gentleman.  Maybe  can  soothe  him. 
He  is  one,  too.  Will  you  ?  " 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders  and  hitched 
my  sea  cloak  tighter  round  me;  then  I  said: 

"  To  do  you  a  service — yes.  Yet  I  like 
not  the  job.  Still,  I  will  go,"  and  I  put 
my  hand  on  the  brass  rail  to  descend. 
Then,  as  I  did  so,  we  heard  him  again — 
a-singing  of  a  song  this  time.  But  what  a 
song!  And  to  come  from  the  dying  lips 
of  that  old,  white-haired,  reverend-looking 
man  1  A  song  about  drinkings  and  carous- 
ings,  of  girls'  eyes  and  lips  and  other 
charms,  which  he  should  have  thought  no 
more  of  for  the  past  two  score  years  1  and 
killing  of  men,  and  thievings  and  plunder. 
Then  another  change,  orders  bellowed 
loudly,  as  though  he  trod  on  deck  —  com- 


6      ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

mands  given  to  run  out  guns — cutlasses  to 
be  ready.  Shrieks,  whooping  and  huzzas! 

"  He  has  followed  the  sea  some  time  in 
his  life,"  the  captain  whispered  as  I  de- 
scended the  companion  steps.  "One  can 
tell  that.  And  I  thought  him  a  minister !  " 

I  nodded,  looking  up  at  him  as  I  went 
below,  then  reached  the  open  door  of  the 
cabin  where  the  man  lay. 

He  was  stretched  out  upon  his  berth, 
the  bedding  all  dishevelled  and  tossed 
beneath  him,  with,  over  it,  his  long  white 
hair,  like  spun  flax,  streaming.  His  coat 
alone  of  all  his  garments  was  off,  so  that  one 
saw  the  massive  gold  buttons  to  his  satin 
waistcoat;  could  observe,  too,  the  richness 
of  his  cravat,  the  fineness  of  his  shirt.  His 
breeches,  also,  were  of  satin,  black  like  his 
waistcoat — the  stuff  of  the  very  best;  his 
buckles  to  them  gold ;  his  shoes  fastened 
with  silver  latchets.  That  he  was  old  other 
things  than  his  hair  showed  —  the  white 
face  was  drawn  and  pinched  with  age,  the 
body  lean  and  attenuated,  the  fingers  almost 
fleshless,  the  backs  of  his  hands  naught  but 
sinews  and  shrivelled  skin.  And  they  were 
strange  hands,  too,  for  one  to  gaze  upon; 
white  as  the  driven  snow,  yet  with  a  thick- 
ness at  the  tips  of  the  fingers,  and  with  ill- 
shapen,  coarse-looking  nails,  all  seeming  to 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.       7 

say  that,  once,  in  some  far  off  time,  those 
hands  had  done  hard,  rough  work. 

By  the  side  of  the  berth,  upon  one  of  the 
drawers  beneath  it,  pulled  out  to  make  a 
seat,  there  squatted  a  mulatto  —  his  ser- 
vant whom  he  had  brought  on  board  with 
him  when  we  took  him  into  the  ship  in  the 
Maas.  A  mulatto,  whose  brown,  muddy 
looking  eyeballs  rolled  about  in  terror,  as  I 
thought,  of  his  master's  coming  death,  and 
made  me  wonder  if  they  had  given  his  dis- 
tempered brain  that  idea  of  the  "mustee's 
yellow  eyes,"  about  which  he  had  been 
lately  shrieking.  Yet,  somehow,  I  guessed 
that  'twas  not  so. 

"  How  is  't  with  him  now?  "  I  asked  the 
blackamoor,  seeing  that  his  master  lay  quiet 
for  the  time  being;  "is  this  like  to  be  the 
end?" 

"Maybe,  maybe  not,"  the  creature  said 
in  reply.  "I  have  seen  him  as  far  gone  be- 
fore—  yet  he  is  alive." 

"How  old  is  he?" 

"I  know  not.  He  says  he  has  seventy 
years." 

"I  should  say  more,"  I  answered.  Then 
Tasked:  "Who  is  he?" 

"The  captain  has  his  name." 

"  That  tells  nothing.  When  he  is  dead 
he  will  be  committed  to  the  sea  unless  we 


8      ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

reach  Cadiz  first.  And  he  has  goods,"  cast- 
ing- my  eye  on  two  chests,  one  above  the 
other,  standing-  by  the  cabin  bulkhead. 
"They  will  have  to  be  consigned  some- 
where. Where  is  he  going?" 

"To  Cadiz." 

"  Ha !  Well,  so  am  I.    He  is  English  ?  " 

"Yes  — he  is  English." 

'T  was  evident  to  me  that  this  black  crea- 
ture meant  to  tell  nothing  of  his  master's 
affairs  —  for  which  there  was  no  need  to 
blame  him — and  I  desisted  from  my  en- 
quiries. For,  in  truth,  this  old  man's  affairs 
were  not  my  concern.  If  he  died  he  would 
be  tossed  into  the  sea,  and  that  would  be 
the  end  of  him.  And  if  he  did  not  die  — 
why  still 't  was  no  affair  of  mine.  I  was  but 
a  passenger,  as  he  was. 

Therefore,  I  turned  me  on  my  heel  to 
quit  the  cabin,  when,  to  my  astonishment, 
nay,  almost  my  awestruck  wonderment,  I 
heard  the  old  man  speaking  behind  me  as 
calmly  as  though  there  were  no  delirium  in 
his  brain  nor  any  fever  whatever.  Perhaps, 
after  all,  I  thought,  't  was  but  the  French 
brandy  and  the  Geneva  he  had  been  drink- 
ing freely  of  since  we  took  him  on  board, 
and  which  he  brought  with  him  in  case 
bottles,  that  had  given  him  his  delirium, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.       9 

and  that  the  effect  was  gone  now  with  his 
last  shriekings  and  ravings. 

But  that  which  caused  most  my  wonder- 
ment was  that  he  was  speaking  in  the 
French  —  which  I  had  very  well  myself. 

"What  brings  you  here,  Grandmont?" 
he  asked,  his  eyes,  of  a  cold  grey,  fixed  on 
me. 

"  So,"  thinks  I,  "  you  are  not  out  of  your 
fever  yet,  to  call  me  by  a  name  I  never  heard 
of."  But  aloud,  I  answered: 

"I  have  taken  passage  the  same  as  you 
yourself.  And  we  travel  the  same  road  — 
toward  Cadiz." 

Meanwhile  the  negro  was  a-hushing  of 
him — or  trying  to — saying:  "  Master, mas- 
ter, you  wander.  Grandmont  is  not  here. 
This  gentleman  is  not  he";  and  angered 
me,  too,  even  as  he  said  it,  by  a  scornful 
kind  of  laugh  he  gave,  as  though  to  signify: 
"  Not  anything  like  him,  indeed." 

But  the  old  man  took  no  heed  of  him  — 
pushing  him  aside  with  a  strength  in  the 
white  coarse  hand  which  you  would  not  have 
looked  to  see  in  one  so  spent — and  leaned  a 
little  over  the  side  of  the  berth,  and  went  on: 

"Have  you  heard  of  it,  yet,  Grandmont?" 

Not  knowing  what  to  do,  nor  what  an- 
swer to  make,  I  shook  my  head  —  whereon 
he  continued:  "  Nineteen  years  of  age  now, 


10    ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

if  a  day.  Four  years  old  then  —  two  hun- 
dred crowns'  worth  of  good  wood  burnt, 
—  all  burnt  —  a  mort  o'  money  I  But  we 
have  enough  left  and  to  serve, '  t  is  true.  A 
plenty  o'  money  —  though  'tis  soaked  in 
blood.  Nineteen  years  old,  and  like  to  be  a 
devil  —  like  yourself,  Grandmontl" 

"Grandmont  is  dead,"  the  negro  mut- 
tered. "Drownded  dead,  master.  You 
know." 

This  set  the  old  man  off  on  another  tack, 
doubtless  the  words  "drownded  dead  "  re- 
calling something  to  him;  and  once  more 
he  began  his  chantings  —  going  back  to  the 
English  —  which  were  awful  to  hear,  and 
brought  to  my  mind  the  idea  of  a  corpse  a- 
singing: 

"Fishes'  teeth  have  eat  his  eyes; 
His  limbs  by  fishes  torn." 

Then  broke  off  and  said:  "Where  ami? 
Give  me  to  drink." 

This  the  negro  did,  taking  from  out  the 
drawer  he  sat  upon  a  bottle  of  Hungary 
water,  and  pouring  a  draught  into  a  glass, 
which,  when  the  old  man  had  tasted,  set 
him  off  shrieking  curses. 

"Brandy!"  he  cried,  "Brandy!  French 
brandy,  not  this  filth.  Brandy,  dog! "  and 
as  he  spoke  he  raised  his  hand  and  clutched 
at  the  other's  wool,  "If  I  had  you  in  Mar- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     11 

tinique "  then,  exhausted,  fell  back  on 

his  pillows  and  said  no  more,  forgetting-  all 
about  the  desired  drink. 

Now,  that  night,  when  I  sat  with  the  cap- 
tain after  supper,  he  being  a  man  who  had 
roamed  the  world  far  and  wide,  and  had  not 
always  been,  as  he  was  now,  a  carrier  of 
goods  only,  with  sometimes  a  passenger  or 
two,  from  London  to  the  ports  of  France, 
Spain  and  Portugal,  we  talked  upon  that 
hoary-headed  old  sinner  lying  below  in  the 
after-starboard  cabin;  I  telling  him  all  that 
had  passed  in  my  hearing. 

And  he,  smoking  his  great  pipe,  listened 
attentively,  nodding  his  head  every  now  and 
again,  and  muttering  much  to  himself;  then 
said: 

"Spoke  about  two  hundred  crowns 'worth 
of  good  wood  being  burnt,  eh?  That  would 
be  at  Campeachy.  Humph !  So  I  So !  We 
have  heard  about  that.  Told  the  black,  too, 
that  he  wished  he  had  him  in  Martinique, 
did  he?  Also  knew  Grandmont.  Hal  'tis 
very  plain."  Then  he  rose  and  went  to  his 
desk,  lifted  up  the  sloping  lid  and  took  out  a 
book  and  read  from  it — I  observing  very 
well  that  it  was  his  log. 

"See,"  he  said,  pushing  it  over  to  me, 
"  that 's  what  he  calls  himself  now.  Yet 't  is 
no  more  his  name  than 'tis  mine — or  yours," 


12     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Glancing  my  eye  down  the  column,  I  came 
to  my  own  name — after  a  list  of  things  by 
way  of  cargo  which  he  had  on  board,  such 
as  a  hundred  and  seventy  barrels  of  potash, 
sixty  bales  of  hemp,  a  hundred  bales  of 
Russia  leather,  twenty  barrels  of  salted 
meat,  twenty-eight  barrels  of  whale  oil  and 
many  other  things.  Came  to  my  own  name, 
Mervyn  Crespin,  officer,  passenger  to  Cadiz. 
Then  to  the  old  man's: 

**  John  Carstairs,  gentleman,  with  serv- 
ant, passenger  to  Cadiz." 

" No  more  his  name  than  'tis  mine — or 
yours,"  the  captain  repeated. 

"What  then?  "I  asked. 

"It  might  be — anything,"  and  again  he 
mused.  "  Martinique,"  he  went  on,  "  Cam- 
peachy.  A  friend  of  Grandmont's.  Let  me 
reflect.  It  might  be  John  Cuddiford.  He 
was  a  friend  of  Grandmont's.  It  might  be 
Alderly.  But  no,  he  was  killed,  I  think,  by 
Captain  Nicholas  Craf  ez  of  Brentford.  Dam- 
pier,  now  —  nay,  this  one  is  too  old;  also 
William  Dampier  sailed  from  the  Downs 
three  years  ago.  I  do  believe  'tis  Cuddi- 
ford." 

"And  who  then  is  Grandmont,  Captain? 
And  this  Cuddiford  —  or  Carstairs?" 

"  Ho  1 "  said  he,  "  't  is  all  a  history,  and 
had  you  been  sailor,  or  worn  that  sword  by 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     13 

your  side  for  King-  William  as  you  wear  it 
now  for  Queen  Anne,  you  wrould  have  known 
Grandmont's  name.  Of  a  surety  you  would 
have  done  so,  had  you  been  sailor." 

"Who  are  they,  then?" 

"  Well  now,  see.  Grandmont  was  —  for 
he  is  dead,  drowned  coming-  back  from  the 
Indies  in  '96 — that 's  six  years  agone — with 
a  hundred  and  eighty  men,  all  devils  like 
himself." 

As  he  said  this  I  started,  for  his  words 
were  much  the  same  as  those  which  the  old 
man  had  used  an  hour  or  so  before  when  he 
had  spoken  of  something  —  a  child,  as  I 
guessed  —  that  had  been  four  years  old,  and 
was  now  nineteen  and  "like  to  be  a  devil " 
like  himself  —  Grandmont.  It  seemed  cer- 
tain, therefore,  that  this  man,  Grandmont, 
was  a  friend  in  life,  and  that  now  there  was 
roaming  about  somewhere  a  son  who  had  all 
the  instincts  of  its  father,  and  who  was 
known  to  Carstairs,  or  Cuddiford. 

This  made  the  story  of  interest  to  me, 
and  caused  me  to  listen  earnestly  to  the 
captain's  words. 

"Coming- back  from  the  Indies,  and  not 
so  very  long,  either,  after  the  French  king- 
had  made  him  a  lieutenant  of  his  navy  — 
perhaps  because  he  was  a  villain.  He  does 
that  now  and  again.  'T  is  his  way.  Look 


14     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

at  Bart,  to  wit.  There  's  a  sweet  vagabond 
for  you.  Has  plagued  us  honest  merchants 
and  carriers  more  than  all  Tourville's  navy. 
Yet,  now,  he  is  an  officer,  too." 

"But  Grandmont,  Captain!  Grand- 
mont." 

"Ah!  Grandmont.  Well,  he  was  a 
filibuster — privateer — buccaneer — pirate — 
what  you  will!  Burnt  up  all  their  woods 
at  Campeachy — the  old  man  spake  true — 
because  the  commandant  wouldn't  pay  the 
ransom  he  and  his  crew  demanded;  also 
because  the  commandant  said  that  when  he 
had  slaughtered  them  all,  if  he  did  so,  he 
would  never  find  out  where  their  buried 
wealth  was.  Then  he  took  a  Pink  one  day 
with  four  hundred  thousand  francs'  worth 
of  goods  and  money  on  board,  and  slew 
every  soul  in  the  ship.  Tied  dead  and  liv- 
ing together,  back  to  back,  and  flung  them 
into  the  sea.  Oh!  He  was  a  devil,"  he 
concluded.  "A  wicked  villain  !  My  word! 
If  only  some  of  our  ships  of  war  could  have 
caught  him." 

"Yet  he  is  dead?" 

"Dead  enough,  the  Lord  be  praised." 

"And  if  this  is  a  friend  of  his — this  Cud- 
diford,  or  Carstairs — he  must  needs  be  a 
villain,  too." 

"Needs    be!      Nay,   is,    for    a  surety. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     15 

And,  Mr.  Crespin,"  he  said,  speaking 
slowly,  "you  have  heard  his  shrieks  and 
sing-ing-s — could  you  doubt  what  he  has 
been?" 

"Doubt?  No,"  I  answered.  "Who 
could?  Yet,  I  wonder  who  were  the  dead 
men  looking-  down  the  stairs,  as  they  came 
in  from  the  garden." 

"  Who?  Only  a  few  of  their  victims.  If 
he  and  Grandmont  worked  together  they 
could  not  count  'em.  Well,  one  is  dead; 
good  luck  when  the  other  goes  too.  And, 
when  he  does,  what  a  meeting  they  will 
have  there!"  and  he  pointed  downward. 


CHAPTER  II. 

SECRET  SERVICE. 

It  seemed  not,  however,  as  though  this 
meeting-  were  very  likely  to  take  place  yet, 
since  by  the  time  we  were  off  Cape  St. 
Vincent  —  which  was  at  early  dawn  of  the 
second  morning  following  the  old  man's 
delirium  —  that  person  seemed  to  have  be- 
come very  much  restored.  'Tis  true  he 
was  still  very  weak,  and  kept  his  berth  ; 
but  otherwise  seemed  well  enough.  Also 
all  his  fever  and  wanderings  were  gone, 
and  as  he  now  lay  in  his  bunk  reading  of 
many  papers  which  the  negro  handed  to  him 
from  the  open  uppermost  chest,  he  might, 
indeed,  have  passed  for  that  same  reverend 
minister  which  the  captain  had,  at  the  be- 
ginning, imagined  him  to  be. 

Both  of  us  —  the  captain  because  he  was 
the  captain,  and  I  because  I  was  the  only 
other  passenger —  had  been  in  and  out  to  see 
him  nowand  again  and  to  ask  him  how  he  did. 
Yet,  I  fear,  't  was  not  charity  nor  pity  that 
induced  eitherof  us  to  these  Christian  tasks. 
For  the  skipper  was  prompted  by,  I  think, 

16 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     17 

but  one  desire,  namely,  to  get  the  man  ashore 
alive  out  of  his  ship,  and,  thereby,  to  have 
done  with  him.  He  liked  not  pirates,  he 
said,  "neither  when  met  on  the  high  seas, 
nor  when  retired  from  business";  while 
as  for  myself,  well !  the  man  fascinated  me. 
He  seemed  to  be,  indeed,  so  scheming-  an 
old  villain,  and  to  have  such  a  strange  past 
behind  him,  that  I  could  not  help  but  be  at- 
tracted. 

Now  in  these  visits  which  I  had  paid  him 
at  intervals,  he  had  told  me  that  he  was  on 
his  way  to  Cadiz,  where  he  had  much  busi- 
ness to  attend  to ;  sometimes,  he  said,  in 
purchasing  goods  that  the  galleons  brought 
in  from  the  Indies,  sometimes  in  sending 
out  other  goods,  and  so  forth.  Also  he  said 
— which  was  true  enough,  as  I  knew  very 
well  —  the  galleons  were  now  due;  it  was 
for  this  reason  he  was  on  his  way  to  the 
south  of  Spain. 

"  So,"  said  the  captain,  when  I  repeated 
this,  "  the  devil  can  speak  truth  sure  enough 
when  he  needs.  To  wit,  it  is  the  truth  that 
the  galleons  are  on  their  way  home.  What 
else  has  he  said  to  you,  Mr.  Crespin?" 

"He  has  asked  me  what  my  business 
may  be.  " 

"And  you  have  told  him?" 

"  Nay.     I  tell  no  one  that, "  I  replied,  * '  It 


18     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

is  of  some  consequence,  and  I  talk  not  of  it." 
Yet  here,  and  with  a  view  to  making1 
clear  this  narrative  which  I  am  setting 
down,  'tis  necessary  that  I  should  state 
who  and  what  I  am,  and  also  the  reason  why 
I,  Mervyn  Crespin,  am  on  my  road  to  Cadiz 
on  board  a  coasting-  vessel,  La  Motiche 
Noire  —  once  a  French  ship  of  merchan- 
dise, now  an  English  one.  She  was  taken 
from  that  nation  by  some  of  our  own  ves- 
sels of  war,  sold  by  public  auction,  and 
bought  by  her  present  captain,  who  now  is 
using  her  in  his  trade  between  England 
and  Holland,  and  Holland  and  Spain  —  a 
risky  trade,  too,  seeing  that  war  has  broken 
out  again,  that  England  and  Austria  are 
fighting  the  French  and  Spanish,  and  that 
the  sea  swarms  with  privateers ;  yet,  be- 
cause of  the  risk,  a  profitable  trade,  too, 
for  those  who  can  make  their  journeys  un- 
caught  by  the  enemy. 
However,  to  myself. 
I  am,  let  me  say,  therefore,  an  officer  of 
the  Cuirassiers,  or  Fourth  Horse,  which,  a 
short  time  before  the  late  King  William's 
death,  has  been  serving  in  the  Netherlands 
under  the  partial  command  of  Ginkell, 
Earl  of  Athlone.  The  rank  I  hold  is  that 
of  lieutenant  —  aspiring  naturally  to  far 
greater  things  —  and  already  I  have  had 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     19 

the  honor  of  taking-  part  in  several  sieges, 
amongst  others  Kaiserswerth,  with  which 
the  war  commenced,  as  well  as  in  many 
skirmishes.  Now,  'twas  at  this  place,  where 
my  Lord  the  Earl  of  Athlone  commanded, 
that  I  had  the  extreme  good  fortune,  as  I 
shall  ever  deem  it,  of  being  wounded,  and 
thereby  brought  under  his  Lordship's  no- 
tice. As  for  the  wound,  't  was  nothing,  one 
of  M.  Bouffler's  lancers  having-  run  me 
through  the  fleshy  part  of  my  arm,  and  it 
was  soon  healed  ;  but  the  earl  happened  to 
see  the  occurrence,  as  also  the  manner  in 
which  I  cut  the  man  down  a  second  later, 
and  from  that  moment  he  took  notice  of 
me  —  sent  for  me  to  his  quarters  when  the 
siege  was  over,  spoke  with  commendation 
of  my  riding-  and  my  sword  play,  and  asked 
me  of  my  family,  he  being  one  who,  al- 
though a  Dutchman  who  came  only  into 
England  with  his  late  master,  knew  much 
of  our  gentry  and  noble  homes. 

"Of  the  Crespins  of  Kent,  eh?"  he 
said.  "  The  Crespins  —  a  fair,  good  family. 
I  knew  Sir  Nicholas,  who  fell  at  the  Boyne. 
What  was  he  to  you  ?  " 

"My  uncle,  sir.  The  late  king-  g-ave 
me  my  guidon  in  the  Cuirassiers  because 
of  his  service." 

"Good!     He  could  do  no  less.     Your 


20     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

uncle  was  a  solid  man  —  trustworthy.  If 
he  said  he  would  do  a  thing-,  he  did  it  —  or 
died.  'Twas  thus  in  Ireland.  You  re- 
member?" 

"I  remember,  sir.  He  said  he  would 
take  prisoner  Tyrconnel  with  his  own 
hands,  and  would  have  done  it  had  not  a 
bullet  found  his  brain." 

"I  do  believe  he  would.  Are  you  as 
trustworthy  as  he  ?  " 

"Try  me,"  and  I  looked  him  straight 
in  the  face. 

"Maybe  I  will.  A  little  later,"  and  even 
as  he  spoke  fell  a-musing,  while  he  drank 
some  schnapps,  which  was  his  native  drink, 
and  on  which,  they  say,  these  Hollanders 
are  weaned  — from  a  little  glass.  Then  soon 
spake  again: 

"What  languages  have  you?  Any  be- 
sides your  own?" 

"I  have  the  French.  Also  some  Span- 
ish. My  grandmother  was  of  Spanish 
descent,  and  dwelt  with  us  in  Kent.  She 
taught  me." 

"Humph  !  "  And  again  he  mused,  then 
again  went  on,  though  now  —  doubtless  to 
see  if  my  French  was  any  good,  and  to  try 
me — he  spoke  in  that  tongue. 

"Could    you    pass    for    a  Frenchman, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     21 

think  you,  amongst  those  who  are  not 
French,  say  in  Spain  itself?" 

"  Yes,  amongst  those  who  are  not 
French,  I  am  sure  I  could.  Even  amongst 
those  who  are  French,  if  I  gave  out  that  I 
was,  say,  a  Dutchman  speaking  with  an 
accent,"  and  I  laughed,  for  I  could  not  help 
it.  The  earl  had  a  bottle  nose  and  eyes 
like  a  lobster's,  and  made  a  queer  grimace 
when  I  said  this  boldly.  Then  he,  too, 
laughed. 

"So  I  've  an  accent,  eh,  when  I  speak 
French  ?  You  mean  that  ?  " 

"  I  mean,  sir,  that  however  well  one 
speaks  a  language  not  their  own,  there  is 
some  accent  that  betrays  them  to  those 
whose  native  tongue  they  are  speaking.  A 
Dutchman,  a  Swiss,  most  Englishmen  and 
many  Germans  can  all  speak  French,  and 
'twould  pass  outside  France  for  French. 
But  a  native  of  Touraine,  or  a  Parisian,  or 
any  subject  of  King  L/ouis  could  not  be 
deceived." 

"True.  Yet  you  or  I  could  pass,  say  in 
Spain,  for  Frenchmen." 

"I  am  sure." 

"Humph!  Well,  we  will  see.  And, 
perhaps,  I  will,  as  you  say,  try  you.  Only 
if  I  do,  't  will  be  a  risky  service  for  you.  A 
lieutenant-colonelcy  or  a  gibbet.  A  regi- 


22     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ment  or  a  bullet.  How  would  you  like 
that?" 

"I  risk  the  bullet  every  moment  that  the 
Cuirassiers  are  in  action,  and  there  is  no 
lieutenant-colonelcy  in  the  other  scale  if  I 
escape.  I  prefer  the  'risky  service,'  when 
there  is  one.  As  for  the  gibbet;  well,  one 
death  is  the  same  as  another,  pretty  much, 
and  the  gibbet  will  do  as  well  as  an)'  other, 
so  long-  as 't  is  not  at  Tyburn — which  would 
be  discreditable." 

**  You  are  a  man  of  metal !  "  the  Dutch- 
man exclaimed,  "and  I  like  you,  although 
you  don't  approve  of  my  accent.  You  will 
do.  I  want  a  man  of  action,  not  a  cour- 
tier  " 

"I  meant  no  rudeness,"  I  interposed. 

"Nor  offered  any.  Tush!  man,  we 
Dutch  are  not  courtiers,  either.  But  we 
are  staunch.  And  I  will  give  you  a  chance 
of  being1  so.  Come  here  again  to-morrow 
night.  You  shall  have  a  throw  for  that 
colonelcy — or  that  gibbet." 

"  My  Lord,  I  am  most  grateful  to  you." 

"Good  day.  Come  to-morrow  nig-ht. 
Now  I  must  sleep."  And  he  began  to  divest 
himself  of  his  wig1  and  clothes,  upon  which  I 
bowed  and  withdrew. 

Be  sure  I  was  there  the  next  nig-ht  at  the 
same  time,  exchanging-  my  guard  with  Ber- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     23 

tram  Saxby,  who,  alas !  was  killed  shortly 
afterward  at  Ruremonde.  The  day  I  had 
passed  in  sleeping1  much,  for  I  had  a  sus- 
picion that  it  was  like  enough  Ginkell  would 
send  me  on  the  service  he  had  spoken  of 
that  very  night;  might,  indeed,  order  me  to 
take  horse  within  the  next  hour,  and  I  was 
desirous  of  starting  fresh — of  beginning 
well.  He  was  a  rough  creature,  this  Dutch 
general  —  or  English,  rather,  now  !  —  and 
would  be  as  apt  as  not  to  give  me  my  in- 
structions as  I  entered  the  room,  and  bid 
me  be  miles  away  ere  midnight  struck. 
Therefore  I  went  prepared.  Also  my 
horse  was  ready  in  its  stall. 

He  was  not  alone  when  I  did  enter  his 
quarters.  Instead,  he  was  seated  at  a  table 
covered  with  papers  and  charts,  on  the 
other  side  of  which  there  sat  another  gen- 
tleman, a  man  of  about  fifty,  of  strikingly 
handsome  features;  a  man  who,  in  his  day, 
I  guessed,  must  have  played  havoc  with 
women's  hearts — might,  indeed,  I  should 
think,  have  done  so  now  had  he  been  in- 
clined that  way.  Those  soft,  rounded  feat- 
ures, and  those  eyes,  themselves  soft  and 
liquid — I  saw  them  clearly  when  he  lifted 
them  to  scan  my  face! — would,  I  guessed, 
make  him  irresistible  to  the  fair  sex. 

He  spoke  first  after  I  had  saluted  the 


24     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Earl  of  Athlone — and  I  observed  that,  intui- 
tively, he  also  returned  my  salute  by  abend 
of  his  head,  so  that  I  felt  sure  he  was  used 
to  receive  such  courtesies  wherever  he 
might  be  and  in  whatever  company — then 
he  said  to  the  Dutchman,  in  a  voice  that, 
though  somewhat  high,  was  as  musical  as  a 
chime  of  bells. 

"This  is  the  gentleman,  Ginkell?" 
"This  is  the  gentleman.     A  lieutenant 
of  the  Fourth  Horse." 

"Sir,"  said  the  other,  "be  seated,"  and 
he  pointed  with  a  beautifully  white  hand  to 
a  chair  by  the  table.  "  I  desire  some  little 
conversation  with  you.  I  am  the  Earl  of 
Marlborough. "  And  as  he  mentioned  his 
name  he  put  out  that  white  hand  again  and 
offered  it  to  me,  I  taking  it  with  all  imagin- 
able respect.  He  was  at  this  time  the  most 
conspicuous  subject  of  any  sovereign  in  the 
world ;  his  name  was  known  from  one  end 
of  Europe  to  the  other.  Also  it  was  the 
most  feared,  although  he  had  not  yet  put 
the  crowning  point  to  his  glory  nor  risen  to 
the  highest  rank  for  which  he  was  destined. 
But  he  was  very  near  his  zenith  now — his 
greatness  almost  at  its  height — and,  I  have 
often  thought  since,  there  was  something 
within  him  at  this  time  which  told  him  it 
was  close  at  hand.  For  he  had  an  imper- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     25 

turbable  calmness,  an  unfailing-  quiet  gra- 
sciousness, as  I  witnessed  afterward  on  many 
occasions,  which  alone  could  be  possessed 
by  one  who  felt  sure  of  himself.  In  every 
word  he  spoke,  in  his  every  action,  he  pro- 
claimed that  he  was  certain  of,  and  master 
of,  his  destiny ! 

"My  Lord  Athlone  tells  me,"  he  con- 
tinued, when  I  was  seated,  the  soft  voice 
flowing-  musically,  "that  you  have  the  fit- 
ting- aspirations  of  a  soldier — desire  a  reg- 
iment, and  are  willing-  to  earn  one." 

I  bowed  and  muttered  that  to  succeed 
in  my  career  was  my  one  desire,  and  that  if 
I  could  win  success  I  would  spare  no  effort. 
Then  he  went  on: 

"You  speak  French.  That  is  g-ood. 
Also  Spanish.  That,  too,  is  g-ood.  Like- 
wise, I  hear,  can  disg-uise  your  identity  as 
an  Englishman  if  necessary.  That  is  well, 
also.  Mr.—  -"  and  he  took  up  a  piece  of 
paper  lying  before  him,  on  which  I  supposed 
my  name  was  written,  "Mr.  Crespin,  I  — 
we — are  going  to  employ  you  on  secret 
service.  Are  you  willing  to  undertake  it?" 

"I  am  willing,  my  Lord,  to  do  anything 
that  may  advance  my  career.  Anything 
that  may  become  a  soldier." 

"That  is  as  it  should  be.  The  light  in 
which  to  regard  matters — anything  that 


26     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

may  become  a  soldier.  That  before  all. 
Well,  to  be  short,  we  are  going-  to  send  you 
to  Cadiz." 

"To  Cadiz,  my  Lord!"  I  said,  unable  to 
repress  some  slight  feeling-  of  astonish- 
ment. 

"Yes.  To  Cadiz,  where  you  will  not  find 
another  English  soldier.  Still  that  will, 
perhaps,  not  matter  very  much,  since  we 
do  not  desire  you  when  there  to  appear  as  a 
soldier  yourself.  You  are  granted  leave 
from  your  regiment  indefinitely  while  on 
this  mission,  and,  at  the  first  at  least,  you 
will  be  a  private  gentleman.  Also,  when 
at  Cadiz,  you  will  please  to  be  anything  but 
an  English  gentleman." 

"Or  a  Dutch  one,"  put  in  the  other  earl 
with  a  guttural  laugh.  "  Therefore,  as- 
sume not  the  Dutch  accent." 

Evidently  my  Lord  Marlborough  did  not 
know  of  the  joke  underlying  this  remark, 
since  he  went  on: 

"As  a  Frenchman  you  will  have  the  best 
chance.  Or,  perhaps,  as  a  Swiss  merchant. 
But  that  we  leave  to  you.  What  you  have 
to  do  is  to  get  to  Cadiz,  and,  when  there,  to 
pass  as  some  one,  neither  English  nor 
Dutch,  who  is  engaged  in  ordinary  mer- 
cantile pursuits.  Then  when  the  fleet 
comes  in " 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     27 

"The  fleet,  my  Lord!" 

"Yes.  The  English  fleet.  I  should 
tell  you — I  must  make  myself  clear.  A 
large  fleet  under  Admirals  Rooke  and  Hop- 
son,  as  well  as  some  Dutch  admirals,  are 
about  to  besiege  Cadiz.  They  will  shortly 
sail  from  Portsmouth,  as  we  have  advices, 
and  it  is  almost  a  certainty  that  they  will 
succeed  in  gaining1  possession  of  the  island, 
which  is  Cadiz.  That  will  be  of  immense 
service  to  us,  since,  while  we  are  fighting 
King  Louis  in  the  north,  the  Duke  of  Or- 
mond,  who  goes  out  in  that  fleet  in  com- 
mand of  between  thirteen  and  fourteen 
thousand  men,  will  be  able  to  attack  the 
Duke  of  Anjou,  or,  as  he  now  calls  himself, 
King  Philip  V  of  Spain,  in  the  south.  But 
that  is  not  all.  We  are  not  sending  you 
there  to  add  one  more  strong  right  arm  to 
His  Grace's  forces — we  could  utilize  that 
here,  Mr.  Crespin,"and  he  bowed  court- 
eously, "but  because  we  wish  you  to  con- 
vey a  message  to  him  and  the  admirals." 

I,  too,  bowed  again,  and  expressed  by 
my  manner  that  I  was  listening  most  at- 
tentively, while  the  earl  continued : 

"The  message  is  this:  We  have  re- 
ceived information  from  a  sure  source  that 
the  galleons  now  on  their  way  back  to  Spain 
from  the  Indies  have  altered  their  plan  of 


28     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

arrival  because  they,  in  their  turn,  have 
been  informed  in  some  way,  by  some  spy 
or  traitor,  that  this  expedition  will  sail  from 
England.  Therefore  they  will  not  go  near 
Cadiz.  But  the  spot  to  which  they  will  pro- 
ceed is  Vigo,  in  the  north.  Now,  "and  he 
rose  as  he  spoke,  and  stood  in  front  of  the 
empty  fireplace,  "  your  business  will  be  to 
convey  this  intelligence  to  Sir  George  Rooke 
and  those  under  him,  and  I  need  not  tell 
you  that  you  are  like  enough  to  encounter 
dangers  in  so  conveying  it.  Are  you  pre- 
pared to  undertake  them?" 


CHAPTER  HI. 

I  FIND  A  SHIP. 

"You  see,"  the  Earl  of  Marlborough 
continued,  while  Ginkell  and  I  stood  on 
either  side  of  him,  "  that  neither  your  risks 
nor  your  difficulties  will  be  light.  To  be- 
g-in with,  you  must  pass  as  a  Frenchman, 
or,  at  least,  not  an  Englishman,  for  Cadiz, 
like  all  Spanish  ports  and  towns,  will  not 
permit  of  any  being-  there.  Therefore, 
your  only  way  to  get  into  it  is  to  be  no  Eng- 
lishman. Now,  how,  Mr.  Crespin,  would 
you  suggest  reaching  the  place  and  obtain- 
ing entry  ?  It  is  far  away." 

I  thought  a  moment  on  this ;  then  I  said  : 

"But  Portugal,  my  lord,  is  not  closed  to 
us.  That  country  has  not  yet  thrown  in 
its  lot  with  either  France  or  Austria." 

"  That  is  true.  And  the  southern  front- 
ier of  Portugal  is  very  near  to  Spain — to 
Cadiz.  You  mean  that?" 

"Yes.  I  could  proceed  to  the  frontier 
of  Portugal,  could  perhaps  get  by  sea  to 
Tavira — then,  as  a  Frenchman,  cross  into 
Spain,  and  so  to  Cadiz." 


30     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

He  pondered  a  little  on  this,  then  said  : 
"Yes,  the  idea  is  feasible.  Only,  how  to 
go  to  Tavira?  "  and  he  bent  over  a  chart  ly- 
ing- on  the  table,  and  regarded  it  fixedly  as 
he  spoke.  "  How  to  do  that?"  running-  his 
finger  down  the  coast  line  of  Portugal  as  he 
spoke,  and  then  up  again  as  far  north  as 
the  Netherlands,  stopping-  at  Rotterdam. 

"All  traffic  is  closed,"  he  muttered,  "be- 
tween Spain  and  Holland  now,  otherwise 
there  would  be  countless  vessels  passing 
between  Rotterdam  and  Cadiz  which  would 
doubtless  put  you  ashore  on  the  Portuguese 
coast.  But  now  —  now  —  there  will  scarce 
be  any." 

Ginkell  had  been  called  away  by  one  of 
his  aides-de-camp  as  his  lordship  bent  over 
the  chart  and  mused  upon  it,  or,  doubtless, 
his  astute  Dutch  mind  mig-ht  have  suggest- 
ed some  way  out  of  the  difficulty  that  stared 
us  in  the  face ;  but  even  as  we  pondered 
over  the  sheet  an  idea  occurred  to  me. 

"  My  Lord, "  I  said,  "  may  I  suggest  this : 
That  I  should  make  my  way  to  Rotterdam 
to  begin  with  —  by  some  chance  there  may 
be  a  ship  going-  south  —  through  some  part 
of  the  bay  at  least.  But  even  if  it  is  not  so 
—  if  all  traffic  is  stopped — why  then  I  could 
at  least  get  to  England,  might  arrive  there 
before  the  fleet  sails  for  Cadiz." 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     31 

"Nay,"  his  Lordship  interrupted; 
"you  would  be  too  late.  They  may  have 
sailed  by  now." 

"I  know  not  what  further  to  propose, 
my  Lord." 

"We  must  risk  it,"  he  said,  promptly. 
"Chance  your  finding-  some  vessel  by 
which  you  can  proceed,  even  if  only  part  of 
the  way.  The  hope  is  a  poor  one,  yet  'tis 
worth  catching-  at.  King-  Louis  wants  the 
money  those  g-alleons  are  bringing- ;  his 
coffers  are  empty  ;  he  hardly  knows  where 
to  turn  for  the  wherewithal  to  pay  his  and 
his  grandson's  men ;  we  want  it,  too,  if 
we  can  g-et  it.  Above  all,  we  want  to  pre- 
vent the  wealth  falling-  into  the  hands  of 
Spain,  which  now  means  France.  Mr. 
Crespin,  on  an  almost  forlorn  chance  you 
must  start  for  Rotterdam." 

"  When  shall  I  g-o,  my  Lord  ?  To-nig-ht  ? 
At  once?" 

"  You  are  ready  ?  " 

"lam  ready." 

"Good!  You  have  the  successful  sol- 
dier's qualities.  Yes,  you  must  g-o  at  once 
—  at  once." 

********* 

"  That  nig-ht  I  was  on  the  road  for  Rot- 
terdam, which  is  fifty  leag-ues  and  more  to 
the  northeast  of  Kaiserswerth,  so  that  I 


32     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

had  a  fair  good  ride  before  me  ere  I 
reached  what  might  prove  to  be  the  true 
outset  of  my  journey. 

I  did  not  go  alone,  however,  since  at 
this  time  I  rode  in  the  company  of  my  Lord 
Marlborough,  who  was  returning  to  the 
Hague,  to  which  he  had  come  in  March  as 
Ambassador  Extraordinary  and  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  the  States  General,  as  well  as 
Captain  General  of  all  Her  Majesty's  forces, 
both  at  home  and  abroad.  Also,  his  Lord- 
ship had  been  chosen  to  command  the 
whole  of  the  allied  forces  combined  against 
the  King  of  France  and  his  grandson,  the 
King  of  Spain,  whom  we  regarded  only 
as  the  Duke  of  Anjou ;  and  he  was  now 
making  all  preparations  for  that  great  cam- 
paign, which  was  already  opened,  and  was 
soon  to  be  pushed  on  with  extreme  vigour 
and  with  such  success  that  at  last  the 
power  and  might  of  Louis  were  quite 
crushed  and  broken.  This  concerns  not 
me,  however,  at  present. 

Nor  did  my  long  ride  in  company  with 
his  Lordship  and  a  brilliant  staff  offer  any 
great  incident.  Suffice  it,  therefore,  if  I 
say  that  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day 
from  my  setting  out,  and  fifty  hours  after  I 
had  quitted  Kaiserswerth,  I  rode  into  Rot- 
terdam, and,  finding  a  bed  for  the  night  at 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     33 

the  "Indian  Coffee  House, "put  up  there. 

This  I  did  not  do,  however,  without  some 
difficulty,  since,  at  this  time,  Rotterdam  was 
full  of  all  kinds  of  people  from  almost  every 
part  of  Europe,  excepting-  always  France 
and  Spain,  against  the  natives  of  which 
countries  very  strict  laws  for  their  expul- 
sion had  been  passed  since  the  declaration 
of  war  which  was  made  conjointly  by  the 
Queen,  the  Emperor  and  the  States  General, 
against  those  two  countries  on  the  4th  of 
May  of  this  year,  1702. 

But  of  other  peoples  the  town  was,  as  I 
say,  full.  In  the  river  there  lay  coasting- 
vessels,  deep  sea  vessels,  merchant  ships, 
indeed  every  kind  of  craft  almost  that  goes 
out  to  sea,  and  belonging  to  England,  to  Hol- 
land, to  Denmark  and  other  lands.  Also 
there  were  to  be  seen  innumerable  French 
vessels;  but  these  were  prizes  which  had 
been  dragged  in  after  being  taken  prisoners 
at  sea,  and  would  be  disposed  of  shortly,  as 
well  as  their  goods  and  merchandise,  by 
the  Dyke-Grauf,  or  high  bailiff.  And  of 
several  of  these  ships,  the  captains  and  the 
seamen,  as  well  as  in  many  cases  the  pas- 
sengers who  were  belated  on  their  journeys, 
were  all  ashore  helping  to  fill  up  the  inns 
and  taverns.  Also  troops  were  quartered 
about  everywhere,  these  being  not  only  the 


34     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Dutch,  or  natives,  who  were  preparing-  to 
go  forward  to  the  Hague  and  thence  to 
wheresoever  my  Lord  Marlborough  should 
direct,  but  also  many  of  our  own,  brought 
over  by  our  great  ships  of  war  to  Helvets- 
luys,  and,  themselves,  on  their  way  to  serve 
under  his  command. 

The  room,  therefore,  which  I  got  at  the 
Indian  Coffee  House,  was  none  of  the  best, 
yet,  since  I  was  a  soldier,  I  made  shift  with 
it  very  well,  and  in  other  ways  the  place  was 
convenient  enough  for  my  purpose.  It  may 
be,  indeed,  that  I  could  scarce  have  selected 
a  better  house  at  which  to  stop,  seeing  that 
the  "ordinary"  below  was  the  one  most 
patronized  by  the  merchant  captains  who 
flocked  in  daily  for  their  dinner,  and  for  the 
conversation  and  smoking  and  drinking 
which  succeeded  that  meal. 

And  now,  so  that  I  shall  arrive  as  soon 
as  may  be  at  the  description  of  all  that  be- 
fell me,  and  was  the  outcome  of  the  mission 
which  the  Earl  of  Marlborough  confided  to 
me,  let  me  set  down  at  once  that  it  was  not 
long  before  I,  by  great  good  chance,  stum- 
bled on  that  very  opportunity  which  I  de- 
sired, and  which  was  so  necessary  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  what  his  Lordship  wanted. 

This  is  how  it  happened: 

After  the  ordinary,  at  which  I  myself 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     35 

took  a  seat  every  day  at  one  o'clock,  the 
drinking-  and  the  smoking-  and  the  conver- 
sation began,  as  I  have  said,  and  none,  how- 
ever strang-e  they  might  be  at  first  to  the 
customers  of  the  place,  could  be  there  long- 
without  the  making-  of  acquaintances;  for 
all  the  talk  ran  on  the  one  subject  in  which 
all  were  interested  and  absorbed,  namely, 
the  now  declared  war  and  the  fighting 
which  had  been  done,  and  was  also  to  do; 
on  the  stoppage  to  trade  and  ruin  to  busi- 
ness that  must  occur,  and  such  like.  And 
I  can  tell  you  that  many  an  honest  sea  cap- 
tain and  many  a  burly  Rotterdam  burgher 
drank  down  his  schnapps  or  his  potato 
brandy  or  seidel  of  brown  beer,  as  his 
taste  might  be,  while  heaving  also  of 
sighs,  or  muttering  pious  exclamations  or 
terrible  curses — also  as  his  taste  might 
direct — at  the  threatened  ruin,  and  also  at 
the  fear  which  gripped  his  heart,  that 
soon  he  would  not  have  the  wherewithal 
left  for  even  these  gratifications,  humble  as 
they  were. 

"Curse  the  war!"  said  one,  to  whom  I 
had  spoken  more  than  once.  He  was,  in- 
deed, my  captain  of  La  Mouche  IVbire, 
in  whose  ship  you  have  already  found  me ; 
"it  means  desolation  for  me  and  mine  if  it 
lasts,  hunger  and  shoelessness  for  my  wife 


36     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  little  ones  at  home  in  Shadwell.  Above 
all  I  curse  the  ambition  of  the  French  king-, 
who  has  plunged  all  Europe  into  it;  placed 
all  honest  men  'twixt  hawk  and  buzzard,  as 
to  fortune.  Curse  him,  I  say." 

"Ay,  gurse  him  ! "  chimed  in  a  fat  Friess- 
lander  captain,  who  sat  at  his  elbow. 
"Gurse  him,  I  say,  too.  I  was  now  choost 
maging  for  Chava;  should  have  peen  out  of 
the  riffer  mit  meine  vreight  if  his  vleet  had 
not  gome  along-  mit  that  von  g-ursed  Chean 
Part  in  it,  ven  I  had  to  put  pack.  And  here 
I  am  mit  all  mein  goots " 

"And  here  am  I,  mit  all  mein!  "  broke 
in  my  captain,  a-laughing-  in  spite  of  himself, 
"yet  —  yet  I  know  not  if  I  will  not  make  a 
push  for  it.  I  think  ever  of  the  home  at  Shad- 
well  and  the  little  ones.  I  could  not  abide  to 
think  also  of  their  calling-  for  bread,  and  of 
their  mother  having-  none  to  give  them. 
Yet 't  will  come  to  that  ere  long.  And  the 
war  may  last  for  years." 

"Where  were  you  for?"  I  asked  him, 
using  indeed  what  had  become  a  set  phrase 
in  my  mouth  since  I  had  consorted  with  all 
these  sailors.  For  by  enquiring  of  each  one 
with  whom  I  conversed  what  his  destina- 
tion had  been,  or  would  be  if  he  had  cour- 
age to  risk  the  high  seas  outside,  I  thought 
that  at  last  I  might  strike  upon  one  whose 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     37 

way  was  mine.  For  all  were  not  afraid  to 
go  forth;  indeed  there  was  scarcely  a  dark 
night  in  which  one  or  two  did  not  get  down 
the  river  and  sneak  out  into  the  open,  think- 
ing- that,  when  there,  there  was  a  chance  of 
escaping  the  French  ships  of  war  and  pri- 
vateers and  of  reaching  their  destination, 
while  by  remaining  here  there  was  no 
chance  of  earning  a  brass  farthing.  And  I 
had  known  of  several  ships  going  out  since 
I  had  been  in  Rotterdam,  only  they  were  of 
no  use  to  me.  One  was  bound  for  Arch- 
angel, another  one  for  the  Indies,  a  third 
for  our  colony  of  Massachusetts. 

"I,"  said  my  captain,  whose  name  I 
knew  afterward  to  be  Tandy.  "I?  Oh,  I  was 
freighted  for  Cadiz.  But  of  course,  that 
can  never  be  now.  Yet  if  I  could  but  get 
away  I  might  do  much  with  my  goods.  At 
Lisbon  they  would  sell  well,  or  even  farther 
south.  Though,  't  is  true,  there  's  not 
much  money  below  that  till  one  comes  to 
Spain." 

Though  I  had  thought  the  time  must 
come  when  I  should  hear  one  of  these  sail- 
ors say  that  Cadiz  was,  or  had  been,  his 
road  (I  knew  that  if  it  did  not  come  soon 
'twould  be  no  good  for  me,  and  I  might  as 
well  make  my  way  back  to  my  regiment), 
yet  now,  when  I  did  so  hear  it,  I  almost 


38     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

started  with  joyful  surprise.  Yet  even  in 
so  hearing-,  what  had  I  gained?  The  cap- 
tain had  but  said  that  at  one  time,  before 
the  declaration  of  hostilities,  he  had  been 
ready  to  sail  for  Cadiz.  He  did  not  say 
that  at  this  moment  —  almost  three  months 
later  —  he  was  still  likely  to  go.  Instead, 
had  said  it  could  never  be  now. 

But  —  for  it  meant  much  to  me! — my 
heart  beat  a  little  faster  as  I  asked,  leaning 
across  the  beer  and  spirit-slopped  table  to 
him: 

"Do  you  ever  on  your  cruises  carry 
passengers  ?  " 

He  g-ave  me  a  quick  glance.  I  read  it  to 
mean  that  he  would  be  glad  to  know  what 
my  object  could  be  in  such  a  question,  put 
seriously  and  in  a  somewhat  low  tone,  as 
though  not  intended  for  other  people's 
ears.  Then  he  said: 

"Oh  !  ay !  I  carry  'em,  when  I  can  get 
'em,  if  they  will  pay  fairly.  But  who  do 
you  think  would  trust  themselves  aboard  a 
coaster  now,  in  such  times  as  these,  unless 
she  was  under  convoy  of  one  of  the  queen's 
ships  in  company  with  others?  " 

"I  would,"  I  replied,  leaning  even  a 
little  more  forward  than  before,  and  speak- 
ing in  a  still  lower  tone.  "I  would,  to  get 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     39 

as  near  to  Cadiz  as  might  be.  And  pay 
well,  too." 

He  did  not  speak  for  a  moment ;  instead, 
he  glanced  his  eye  over  me  as  though  scan- 
ning my  outward  gear  for  proof  of  what  I 
had  said  as  to  paying  handsomely.  Yet  I 
did  not  fear  this  scrutiny,  for  I  was  well 
enough  appareled  at  all  points,  having  when 
I  left  Venloo  put  off  my  uniform  and  donned 
a  very  fair  riding  suit  of  blue  cloth,  well 
faced  and  passemented ;  also  my  plain  sword 
and  wig  were  of  the  best,  such  as  befitted  a 
gentleman. 

"Pay  well,"  he  said,  when  he  had  con- 
cluded this  inspection,  "  pay  well.  Humph  ! 
That  might  induce  me,  since  I  am  like 
enough  to  lose  my  goods  ere  I  sight  Cape 
Finisterre.  Pay  well.  You  mean  it?  Well, 
now  see!  What  would  you  pay?  Come.  A 
fancy  price  ?  To  be  put  as  near  Cadiz  as 
can  be  compassed.  And  no  questions 
asked,"  and  he  winked  at  me  so  that  I  won- 
dered what  he  took  me  for.  Later  on  I 
found  that  he  supposed  me  to  be  one  of  the 
many  spies  in  the  pay  of  France,  who,  be- 
cause they  had  both  the  English  and  French 
tongue,  were  continually  passing  from  one 
part  of  the  continent  of  Europe  to  another. 

"As  to  the  questions,"  I  replied,  "you 
might  ask  as  many  as  you  desired.  They 


40     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

would  not  be  answered.  As  to  the  pay, 
what  will  you  take  ?  " 

He  thoiig-ht  a  moment,  and  again  his  eye 
ranged  over  my  habiliments;  then  he  said, 
sharply : 

"A  hundred  guineas.  Fifty  down,  on 
the  nail,  the  rest  at  the  end  of  the  journey. 
You  to  take  all  risks.  That  is,  I  mean,  even 
though  we  get  no  further  than  the  mouth  of 
the  Scheldt  —  which  is  like  enough.  Say, 
will  you  give  it  ?  " 

"  'T  is,  indeed,  a  fancy  price,  yet,  on  con- 
ditions, yes,"  I  answered  promptly. 

"  Those  conditions  being " 

"  That  you  weigh  within  twenty-four 
hours ;  that  if  we  are  chased  you  run,  or 
even  fight,  till  there  is  no  further  hope,  and 
that  if  we  escape  capture  you  approach  to 
the  nearest  point  to  Cadiz  possible.  Tavira 
to  be  that  point." 

He  got  up  and  went  out  of  the  door  into 
the  street,  and  I  saw  him  looking  up  into  the 
heavens  at  the  clouds  passing  beneath  the 
sun.  Then  he  came  back  and  resumed  his 
seat,  after  which  he  said  : 

"If  the  wind  keeps  as  'tis  now  I  will 
weigh  ere  twenty-four  hours  are  past.  The 
conditions  to  be  as  you  say.  And  the  fifty 
guineas  to  be  in  my  hands  ere  we  up  anchor. 
They,"  he  added,  half  to  himself,  "will  be 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     41 

something-  for  the  home  even  though  I  lose 
my  ship." 

And  this  being-  settled  and  all  arrange- 
ments concluded,  we  went  off  in  his  boat, 
which  was  lying  at  the  steps  of  the  Boom- 
jes,  to  see  the  ship.  Then,  I  having  select- 
ed my  cabin  out  of  two  which  he  had  unoccu- 
pied, returned  to  the  coffee  house  to  write 
my  Lord  Marlborough  word  of  what  I  had 
done,  to  dispose  of  my  horse — which  I  was 
sorry  enough  to  do,  since  it  was  a  good, 
faithful  beast  that  had  carried  me  well ;  yet 
there  was  no  use  in  keeping  it,  I  not  know- 
ing if  I  should  ever  see  Rotterdam  again  — 
to  make  one  or  two  other  preparations,  and 
to  write  to  my  mother  at  home. 

As  to  the  hundred  guineas  — great  as  the 
demand  was,  I  felt  justified  in  paying  it, 
since,  if  I  succeeded  in  my  task,  the  result 
might  be  splendid  for  England.  Also  I  had 
a  sufficiency  of  money  with  me,  the  earl 
having  ordered  two  hundred  guineas  to  be 
given  me  out  of  the  regimental  chest  (which 
was  pretty  full,  seeing  that  at  Venloo  eight 
great  chests  of  French  gold  were  taken 
possession  of  by  us  on  gaining  the  town), 
and  had  also  given  me  bills  for  three  hun- 
dred more  guineas,  signed  by  his  own  hand, 
which  the  money  changers  would  be  only 
too  glad  to  pay  anywhere.  And,  besides 


42     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

this,  I  had  some  money  of  my  own,  and 
should  have  more  from  the  sale  of  the  horse. 

There  remains  one  thing1,  however,  to 
mention,  which  I  have  almost  forgot  to  set 
down,  namely,  that  at  the  Indian  Coffee 
House  I  had  given  my  name  accurately,  his 
Lordship,  who  was  perfectly  acquainted 
with  France — indeed,  he  had  once  served 
her  under  Turenne,  in  his  capacity  of  colo- 
nel of  the  "English  Regiment"  sent  out  by 
King  Charles  the  Second — having  said  that 
Crespin  was  as  much  a  French  as  an  Eng- 
lish name.  And  although  no  questions  had 
as  yet  been  asked  as  to  what  my  business 
was,  there  being,  indeed,  none  who  had  any 
right  or  title  to  so  ask,  I  had  resolved  that,  if 
necessary,  I  would  do  this:  namely,  here 
in  Holland  I  would  be  English,  since,  at  the 
time,  and  we  being1  allies,  it  was  almost  one 
and  the  same  thing- ;  and  that  in  Spain  I 
would  be  French,  which  was  also  at  the 
period  one  and  the  same  thing-.  And  if  we 
were  to  be  captured  by  any  of  Louis'  priva- 
teers or  ships  of  war  also  I  should  be  French, 
in  that  case  possibly  a  Canadian,  to  account 
for  any  strangeness  in  my  accent. 

And  with  this  all  fixed  in  my  mind 
I  made  my  preparations  for  g-oing  to  sea  in 
La  Mouche  Noire. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

AN  ESCAPE. 

The  wind  shifted  never  a  point,  so  that, 
ere  sunset  the  next  day,  we  were  well  down 
the  river  and  nearing  the  mouth,  while  al- 
ready ahead  of  us  we  could  see  the  waves 
of  the  North  Sea  tumbling-  about.  Also,  we 
could  see  something-  else,  that  we  could 
have  done  very  well  without,  namely,  the 
topmasts  of  a  great  frigate  lying-  about 
three  miles  off  the  coast,  or  rather  cruising 
about  and  keeping-  off  and  on,  the  vessel 
being-  doubtless  one  of  Louis' warships,  bent 
on  intercepting-  anything-  that  came  out  of 
the  river. 

"Yet,"  said  Captain  Tandy,  as  he  stood 
on  the  poop  and  reg-arded  her  throug-h  his 
perspective  glass,  "she  will  not  catch  us. 
Let  but  the  night  fall,  and  out  we  go,  while, 
thanks  to  the  Frenchman  who  built  our 
little  barky,  we  can  keep  so  well  in  that  she 
can  never  come  anear  us." 

"She  can  come  near  enough,  though,  to 
send  a  round  shot  or  two  into  our  side,"  I 
hazarded,  "if  she  sees  our  lights." 

43 


44     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"She  won't  see  our  lights,"  the  captain 
made  answer,  and  again  he  indulged  in  that 
habit  which  seemed  a  common  one  with 
him — he  winked  at  me;  a  steady,  solemn 
kind  of  a  wink,  that,  properly  understood, 
conveyed  a  good  deal.  And,  having  fa- 
voured me  with  it,  he  gave  orders  that  the 
light  sail  under  which  we  had  come  down  the 
river  should  be  taken  in,  and,  this  done,  we 
lay  off  the  little  isle  of  Rosenberg,  which 
here  breaks  the  Maas  in  two,  until  night- 
fall. 

And  now  it  was  that  Tandy  gave  me  a 
piece  of  information  which,  at  first,  I  re- 
ceived with  anything  but  satisfaction  ;  the 
information,  to  wit,  that  at  the  last  moment 
almost — at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  before  I  had  come  on  board — he  had 
been  fortunate  enough  to  get  another  pas- 
senger, this  passenger  being  the  man  Car- 
stairs — or  Cuddiford,  as  he  came  to  con- 
sider .him — whom,  at  the  opening  of  this 
narrative,  you  have  seen  in  a  delirium. 

"I  could  not  refuse  the  chance,  Mr. 
Crespin,"  he  said,  for  he  knew  my  name  by 
now.  "Things  are  too  ill  with  me,  owing 
to  this  accursed  fresh  war,  for  me  to  throw 
guineas  away.  So  when  his  blackamoor 
accosted  me  at  the  'Indian'  and  said  that  he 
heard  I  was  going  a  voyage  south — God, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     45 

He  knows  how  these  things  leak  out,  since 
I  had  never  spoke  a  word  of  my  intention, 
though  some  of  the  men,  or  the  ship's  chan- 
dler, of  whom  I  bought  last  night,  may  have 
done  so — and  would  I  take  his  master  and 
him?  I  was  impelled  to  do  it!  There  are 
the  wife  and  the  children  at  home." 

"And  have  you  got  another  hundred 
guineas  from  him?"  I  asked. 

"Ay,  for  him  and  the  black.  But  they 
will  not  trouble  you.  The  old  gentleman 
—  who  seems  to  be  something  like  a  minis- 
ter—  tells  me  he  is  not  well,  and  will  not 
quit  his  cabin.  The  negro  will  berth  near 
him  ;  they  will  not  interfere  with  you." 

"Do  they  know  there  is  another  pas- 
senger aboard?" 

"I  have  not  spoken  to  the  old  man; 
maybe,  however,  some  of  the  sailors  may 
have  told  the  servant.  Yet  none  know 
your  name ;  but  I  —  it  can  be  kept  secret 
an  you  wish."  And  again  he  winked  at 
me,  thinking,  of  course,  as  he  had  done  be- 
fore, that  my  business  was  of  a  ticklish 
nature,  as  indeed  it  was,  though  not  quite 
that  which  he  supposed.  Nay,  he  felt  very 
sure  it  must  be  so,  since  otherwise  he 
would  have  got  no  hundred  guineas  out  of 
me  for  such  a  passage. 

"I  do  not  wish  it  known, "  I  said.     "It 


46     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

must  be  kept  secret.  Also  my  country. 
There  must  be  no  talking-." 

"Never  fear,"  he  replied.  "I  know 
nothing-.  And  I  do  not  converse  with  the 
men,  most  of  whom  are  Hollanders,  since  I 
had  to  pick  them  up  in  a  hurry.  As  for  the 
old  man,  you  need  not  see  him  ;  and,  if  you 
do,  you  can  keep  your  own  counsel,  I 
take  it." 

I  answered  that  I  could  very  well  do 
that ;  after  which  the  captain  left  me  — 
for  now  the  nig-ht  had  come  upon  us,  dark 
and  dense,  except  for  the  stars,  and  we 
were  about  to  run  out  into  the  open.  But 
even  as  I  watched  the  men  making-  sail, 
and  felt  the  little  ship  running-  through  the 
water  beneath  me  —  I  could  soon  hear  her 
fore  foot  gliding-  through  it  with  a  sharp 
ripple  that  resembled  the  slitting  of  silk  — 
I  wished  that  those  other  passengers  had 
not  come  aboard,  that  I  could  have  made 
the  cruise  alone. 

Yet  we  were  aboard,  he  and  I,  and  there 
was  no  help  for  it ;  it  must  be  endured. 
But  still  I  could  not  help  wondering  what 
any  old  minister  should  want  to  be  making 
such  a  journey  as  this  for  ;  especially  won- 
dered, also,  why  he  should  be  attended  by 
a  black  servant ;  and  why,  again,  it  should 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     47 

be  worth  his  while  to  pay  a  hundred 
guineas  for  the  passage. 

But  you  know  now  as  well  as  I  do  that 
this  man  was  no  minister,  but  rather,  if 
Tandy's  surmises  were  right,  some  villain- 
ous old  filibuster  who  had  lived  through 
evil  days  and  known  evil  spirits ;  my  medi- 
tations are,  therefore,  of  no  great  import. 
Rather  let  me  get  on  to  what  was  the  out- 
come of  my  journey. 

When  we  were  at  sea  we  showed  no  light 
at  all ;  no  !  not  at  foremast,  main  or  mizzen; 
so  that  I  very  well  understood  now  why  the 
captain  had  winked  as  he  said  that  the 
Frenchman,  if  she  was  that,  would  not  see 
us ;  and  especially  I  understood  it  when,  on 
going  below,  I  found  that  the  cabin  windows 
were  fastened  with  dead  lights  so  that  no 
ray  could  steal  out  from  them.  Also,  the 
hatches  were  over  the  companions  so  that 
neither  could  any  light  ascend  from  below. 
In  truth,  as  we  slapped  along  under  the  stiff 
northeast  breeze  that  blew  off  the  Holland 
coast,  we  seemed  more  like  some  dark  fly- 
ing spectre  of  the  night  than  a  ship,  and  I 
could  not  but  wonder  to  myself  what  we 
should  be  taken  for  if  seen  by  any  passer-by. 
Yet,  had  I  only  known,  there  were  at  that 
time  hundreds  of  ships  passing  about  in  all 
these  waters  in  the  same  manner — French 


48     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ships  avoiding1  the  English  war  vessels,  and 
English  and  Dutch  avoiding-  the  French 
war  vessels ;  and — which,  perhaps,  it  was 
full  as  well  I  did  not  know — sometimes  two 
of  them  came  into  contact  with  each  other, 
after  which  neither  was  ever  more  heard 
of.  Only,  in  different  ports  there  were 
weeping  women  and  children  left,  who  — 
sometimes  for  years! — prayed  for  the  day 
to  come  when  the  wanderers  might  return, 
they  never  knowing  that,  instead  of  those 
poor  toilers  of  the  sea  having  been  made 
prisoners  (as  they  hoped)  who  would  at  last 
be  exchanged,  they  were  lying  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sea. 

" '  T  is  a  gay  minister,  at  any  rate, "  I  said 
to  Captain  Tandy  when  I  returned  to  the 
deck  —  for  all  was  so  stuffy  down  below, 
owing-  to  the  closing-  up  of  every  ingress  for 
the  fresh  air,  that  I  could  not  remain  there 
— "and  he  at  least  seems  not  to  mind  the 
heat." 

"What  is  he  doing-,  then?"  the  captain 
asked. 

"He  is  singing-  a  little,"  I  replied,  "and 
through  the  half  open  door  of  his  cabin  one 
may  hear  the  clinking-  of  bottle  against  glass. 
A  merry  heart." 

"  The  fiend  seize  his  mirth  !  I  hope  he 
will  not  make  too  much  turmoil,  nor  set  the 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     49 

ship  afire.  If  he  does  we  shall  be  seen  easy 
enough." 

I  hoped  so,  too,  and  as  each  night  the  old 
man  waxed  more  noisy  and  the  clink  of  the 
bottle  was  heard  continuously  —  until  at  last 
his  drinking  culminated  as  I  have  written 
—  the  fear  which  the  captain  had  expressed 
took  great  hold  of  me,  so  that  I  could  scarce 
sleep  at  all.  Yet  those  fears  were  not  real- 
ized, the  Lord  be  praised!  or  I  should  scarce- 
ly be  penning  this  narrative  now. 

The  first  night  passed  and,  as 't  was  sum- 
mer, the  dawn  soon  came,  by  which  time  we 
were  running  a  little  more  out  to  sea,  though 
—since  to  our  regret  we  saw  that  the  frigate 
was  on  our  beam  instead  of  being  left  far 
behind,  as  we  had  hoped  would  be  the  case  — 
we  now  sailed  under  false  colours.  There- 
fore at  our  peak  there  flew  at  this  time  the 
lilies  of  France,  and  not  our  own  English 
flag.  Yet 't  was  necessary — imperative,  in- 
deed —  that  such  should  be  the  case  if  we 
would  escape  capture.  And  even  those  de- 
spised lilies  might  not  save  us  from  that.  If 
the  frigate,  which  we  knew  by  this  time  to 
be  a  ship  of  war,  since  her  sides  were 
pierced  three  tiers  deep  for  cannon,  and  on 
her  deck  we  could  observe  soldiers,  sus- 
pected for  a  moment  those  colours  to  be  false 
she  would  slap  a  shot  at  us  ;  the  first,  per- 


50     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

haps,  across  our  bows  only,  but  the  second 
into  our  waist,  or,  if  that  missed,  then  the 
third,  which  would  doubtless  do  our  office 
for  us. 

At  present,  however,  she  did  nothing-, 
only  held  on  steadily  on  her  course,  which 
nevertheless  was  ominous  enough,  for  this 
action  told  plainly  that  she  had  seen  us  leave 
the  river,  or  she  would  have  remained  luffing 
about  there  still.  And,  also,  she  must  have 
known  we  were  not  French,  for  what 
French  ship  would  have  been  allowed  to 
come  out  of  the  Maas  as  we  had  come  ? 

She  did  nothing-,  I  have  said ;  yet  was  not 
that  sleuth-like  following1  of  hers  some- 
thing"? Did  it  not  expound  the  thoughts  of 
her  captain  as  plainly  as  though  he  had  ut- 
tered them  in  so  many  words?  Did  it  not 
tell  that  he  was  in  doubt  as  to  who  and  what 
we  were;  that  he  set  off  against  the  sus- 
picious fact  of  our  having  quitted  the  river, 
which  bristled  with  the  enemies  of  France, 
the  other  facts,  namely,  that  our  ship  was 
built  French  fashion,  that  maybe  he  could 
read  her  French  name  on  her  stern,  and 
that  she  flew  the  French  flag-  ? 

Yet  what  puzzled  us  more  than  aught 
else  was,  how  had  the  frigate  known  that 
we  had  so  got  out?  The  night  had  been 
dark  and  black,  and  we  showed  no  lights. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     51 

Still  she  knew  it. 

The  day  drew  on  and,  with  it,  the  sea 
abated  a  little,  so  that  the  tumbling1  waves, 
which  had  often  obscured  the  frig-ate  from 
us  for  some  time,  and,  doubtless,  us  from  it, 
became  smoother,  and  Tandy,  who  had 
never  taken  his  eye  off  the  great  ship,  turned 
round  and  gave  now  an  order  to  the  men  to 
hoist  more  sail.  Also  another  to  the  man  at 
the  wheel  to  run  in  a  point. 

Then  he  came  to  where  I  was  standing, 
and  said : 

"She  draws  a  little  nearer;  I  fear  they 
will  bring  us  to.  Hal  as  I  thought."  And 
even  as  he  spoke  there  came  a  puff  from  the 
frigate's  side ;  a  moment  later  the  report  of 
a  gun ;  another  minute,  and,  hopping-  along- 
the  waves  went  a  big-  round  shot,  some  fifty 
yards  ahead  of  us. 

"What  will  you  do?"  I  asked  the  captain. 
"  The  next  will  not  be  so  far  ahead." 

"  Run  for  it, "  he  said.  "  They  may  not 
hit  us — short  of  a  broadside — and  if  I  can 
get  in  another  mile  or  so  they  cannot  follow. 
Starboard,  you  below,"  he  called  out  again 
to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  and  once  more  bel- 
lowed his  orders  to  the  men  aloft. 

This  brought  the  ship's  head  straight 
for  where  the  land  was — we  could  see  it 
plain  enough  with  the  naked  eye,  lying-  flat 


52     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  low,  ten  miles  away — also  it  brought 
our  stern  to  the  frig-ate,  so  that  we  presented 
nothing-  but  that  to  them — a  breadth  of  no 
more  than  between  twenty  and  twenty-five 
feet. 

"  'T  will  take  good  shooting  to  hit  us  this 
way, "  said  Tandy  very  coolly.  "  Yet,  see, 
they  mean  to  attempt  it." 

That  this  was  so,  one  could  perceive  in 
a  moment;  then  came  three  puffs,  one  after 
the  other,  from  their  upper  tier;  then  the 
three  reports;  then  the  balls  hurtling  along 
on  either  side  of  us,  one  just  grazing  our 
lar board  yard-arm — we  saw  the  splinters 
fly  like  feathers! — the  others  close  enough, 
but  doing  no  harm. 

"Shoot,  and  be  damned  to  you,"  mut- 
tered Tandy;  " another  ten  minutes  more, 
and  you  can  come  no  further.  Look,"  and 
he  pointed  ahead  of  us  to  where  I  saw,  a 
mile  off,  the  water  crisping  and  foaming 
over  a  shoal  bank,  "  't  is  eight  miles  out- 
side Blankenberg, and  is  called  'The  Devil's 
Bolster.'  And  we  can  get  inside  it,  and 
they  cannot."  Then  again  he  bellowed 
fresh  orders,  which  even  I,  a  landsman, 
understood  well  enough,  or,  at  least,  their 
purport.  They  were  to  enable  us  to  get 
round  and  inside  the  reef,  and  so  place  it 
between  us  and  the  frig-ate. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     53 

They  saw  our  move  as  soon  as  it  was 
made,  however,  whereupon  the  firing  from 
their  gun-ports  grew  hotter,  the  balls  rat- 
tling- about  us  now  in  a  manner  that  made 
me  fear  the  ship  must  be  struck  ere  long-; 
nay,  she  was  struck  once,  a  round  shot 
catching  her  on  her  starboard  quarter  and 
tearing  off  her  sheathing  in  a  long  strip. 
Yet,  at  present,  that  was  all  the  harm  she 
had  got,  excepting  that  her  mizzen  shroud 
was  cut  in  half. 

But  now  we  were  ahead  of  the  reef  and 
about  half  a  mile  off  it;  ten  minutes  later 
we  were  inside  it,  and,  the  frigate  being  able 
to  advance  no  nearer  because  of  her  great 
draught,  we  were  safe.  They  might  shoot, 
as  the  captain  said,  and  be  damned  to  them; 
but  shoot  as  much  as  they  chose,  they  were 
not  very  like  to  hit  us,  since  we  were  out  of 
range.  We  were  well  in  sight  of  each  other, 
however,  the  reef  lying  like  a  low  barricade 
betwixt  us,  and  I  could  not  but  laugh  at  the 
contempt  which  the  sturdy  Dutch  sailors 
we  had  on  board  testified  for  the  discom- 
fited Frenchmen.  There  were  three  of 
them  at  work  on  the  fo'castle  head  at  the 
time  the  frigate  left  off  her  firing,  and  no 
sooner  did  she  do  so  and  begin  to  back  her 
sails  to  leave  us  in  peace — though  doubtless 
she  meant  lying  off  in  wait  for  us  when  we 


54     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

should  creep  out — than  these  great  Holland- 
ers formed  themselves  into  a  sort  of  dance 
figure,  and  commenced  capering  and  skip- 
ping about,  with  derisive  gestures  made  at 
the  great  ship.  And  as  we  could  see  them 
regarding  us  through  their  glasses,  by 
using  our  own,  we  knew  very  well  that  they 
saw  these  gestures  of  contempt.  Tandy, 
however,  soon  put  a  stop  to  these,  for,  said 
he,  "They  may  lie  out  there  a  week 
waiting  for  us,  and  if  then  they  catch  us, 
they  will  not  forget.  And  't  will  go  all  the 
harder  with  us  for  our  scorn.  Peace,  fools, 
desist."  Whereon  the  men  left  off  their 
gibes. 

"  Lie  out  there  a  week,"  thinks  I  to  my- 
self. "Fore  Gad!  I  trust  that  may  not  be 
so.  For  if  they  do,  and  one  delay  follows 
another,  heaven  knows  when  I  shall  see 
Cadiz.  Too  late,  anyway,  to  send  the  fleet 
after  the  galleons,  who  will,  I  fear,  be  in  and 
unloaded  long  before  the  admiral  can  get 
up  to  Vigo." 

Yet,  as  luck  would  have  it,  the  frigate 
was  not  to  lie  there  very  long — not  even  so 
long  as  an  hour.  For,  see,  now,  how  Provi- 
dence did  intervene  to  help  me  on  my  way, 
and  to  remove  at  least  that  one  obstacle  to 
my  going  forward  on  my  journey. 

Scarce   had   those  lusty  Dutch  sailors 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     55 

been  ordered  off  the  head  by  Tandy  than, 
as  I  was  turning-  away  from  laughing-  at 
them,  my  attention  was  called  back  by  a 
shout  from  the  same  quarter,  and  on  look- 
ing- round,  I  saw  two  of  them  spring-  up  the 
ladder  again  to  the  very  spot  they  had  left, 
and  begin  pointing  eagerly  away  beyond  the 
frigate.  And  following  their  glances  and 
pointing,  this  is  what  I  saw: 

Two  other  great  ships  looming  large  on 
the  seascape,  rising  rapidly  above  the 
water,  carrying  all  their  canvas,  coming  on 
at  a  mighty  rate.  Two  great  ships  sailing 
very  free  but  near  together,  which  in  a  few 
moments  spread  apart,  so  that  they  put  me 
in  mind  of  some  huge  bird  opening  of  its 
wings — I  know  not  why,  yet  so  it  was! — 
and  then  came  on  at  some  distance  from 
each  other,  their  vast  black  hulls  rising 
every  moment,  and  soon  the  foam  becom- 
ing visible  beneath  their  bows  as  their  fore 
feet  flung  it  asunder. 

"Down  with  that  rag,"  shouted  Tandy, 
squinting  up  at  the  lilies  on  our  peak,  and 
hardly  shifting  his  perspective  glass  to  do 
so.  "Down  with  it,  and  up  with  our  own. 
My  wordl  The  Frenchman  will  get  a  full 
meal  now.  Look  at  their  royal  masts  and 
the  flag  of  England  flying  on  them." 

I  did  look,  and,  after  a  hasty  glance,  at 


56     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

something1  else — the  French  frigate,   our 
late  pursuer! 

Be  very  sure  that  she  had  seen  those 
two  avengers  coming  up  in  that  fair  breeze 
— also  that  she  was  making  frantic  efforts 
to  escape.  But  her  sails  were  all  laid  aback 
as  I  have  said,  also,  she  was  off  the  wind. 
The  glasses  showed  the  confusion  that 
prevailed  on  board  her.  And  she  had 
drifted  so  near  the  shoal  that  her  danger 
was  great.  Unless  she  boldly  ran  out  to 
meet  those  two  queen's  ships  she  would  be 
on  it  ere  long,  and  that  was  what  she  dared 
not  do. 

For  now  from  the  others  we  saw  the 
puff  of  smoke,  like  white  balls  of  wool,  come 
forth ;  we  saw  the  spits  of  flame ;  saw  the 
Frenchman's  mainmast  go  down  five  min- 
utes later,  and  hang  over  the  side  nearest 
us  like  some  wounded  creature  all  entan- 
gled in  a  net.  And  still  she  neared  the 
shoal,  and  still  the  white  balls  puffed  out 
till  they  made  a  long  fleecy  line,  through 
which  the  red  flames  darted ;  borne  on  the 
air  we  heard  shouts  and  curses ;  amidst  the 
roaring  of  the  English  cannon  firing  on  the 
helpless,  stricken  thing,  we  heard  another 
sound,  a  grinding,  crashing  sound,  and  we 
knew  she  was  on  the  bank.  Then  saw 
above,  at  her  mizzen,  the  French  flag  pulled 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     57 

down  upon  the  cap,  and  heard  through 
their  trumpets  their  loud  calls  for  assist- 
ance from  the  conquerors. 

"Humph!  Humph!  "said  Tandy.  "Old 
Lewis,"  for  so  he  spoke  of  him,  "has  got 
one  ship  the  less — that 's  all.  Loose  the 
foresheet,  there,  my  lads;  stand  by  the 
mainsail  halyards.  Good.  That 's  it ;  all  to- 
g-ether 1" 

And  away  once  more  we  went. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   ENGLISH  SHIPS  OF  WAR. 

After  that  we  met  with  no  further 
trouble  or  interference,  not  even,  so  far 
as  we  knew,  being  passed  by  anything  of 
more  importance  than  a  few  small  carrying 
craft  similar  to  ourselves,  who  bore  away 
from  us  on  sighting  with  as  much  rapidity 
as  we  were  prepared  to  bear  away  from 
them,  since  in  those  days,  and  for  long 
after,  no  ship  passing  another  at  sea  but 
dreaded  it  as  though  it  was  the  Evil  One 
himself ;  dreaded  that  the  cabin  windows, 
with  their  clean  dimity  cloths  run  across 
them,  might  be,  in  truth,  nothing  but 
masked  gun  ports  with  the  nozzles  of  the 
cannon  close  up  against  the  other  side  of 
those  running  curtains ;  dreaded,  also, 
that,  behind  the  bales  of  goods  piled  up 
in  the  waist,  might  be  lurking  scores  of 
men,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  ready  for 
boarding ! 

Also,  as  though  to  favour  us  —  or  me, 
who  needed  to  get  to  the  end  of  my  jour- 
ney as  soon  as  might  be  —  the  wind  blew 

58 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     59 

fresh  and  strong-  abaft  us  from  the  north, 
so  that  by  the  evening-  of  the  fifth  day 
from  leaving-  Rotterdam  we  were  drawing- 
well  to  our  journey's  end,  and  were,  in 
fact,  rounding-  Cape  St.  Vincent,  keeping 
in  so  near  the  coast  that  we  could  not  only 
see  the  cruel  rocks  that  jut  out  here  like 
the  teeth  of  some  sea  monster,  but  also  the 
old  monks  sitting  sunning  themselves  in 
front  of  their  monastery  above  the  cliffs. 

And  now  it  was  at  that  time,  and  when 
we  were  getting-  very  near  to  Tavira  — 
which  must  be  our  journey's  end,  unless 
the  English  fleet,  of  which  Lord  Marlbor- 
ough  had  spoken,  was  already  into  Cadiz, 
and  masters  of  the  place  —  that  the  old 
man  who  called  himself  Carstairs  was 
taken  with  his  delirium,  of  which  I  have 
written  already. 

But,  as  also  I  have  told,  he  was  better 
the  next  day,  by  noon  of  which  we  were 
well  into  the  Bay  of  Lagos,  and  running-  for 
Cape  Santa  Maria ;  and  't  was  then  that  he 
told  me  that  story  of  his  having-  much 
business  to  attend  to  at  Cadiz,  and  that, 
the  galleons  being  now  due  there,  he  was 
on  his  way  to  meet  them. 

That  I  laughed  in  my  sleeve  at  the  fool's 
errand  on  which  this  old  man  had  come  — 
this  old  man,  who  had  been  a  thieving  buc- 


60     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

cancer,  if  his  wandering-sand  Tandy's  sus- 
picions were  true  —  you  may  well  believe. 
Also,  I  could  not  help  but  fall  a-wondering 
how  he  would  feel  if,  on  nearing1  Tavira, 
we  learnt  that  our  countrymen  were  mas- 
ters of  Cadiz.  For  then  he  would  do  no 
business  with  his  precious  galleons,  even 
should  my  Lord  Marlborough  be  wrong  — 
which,  however,  from  the  sure  way  in 
which  he  had  spoken,  I  did  not  think  was 
very  like  to  be  the  case  —  and  even  if  they 
had  made  for  Cadiz,  since  they  would  at 
once  be  seized  upon. 

It  was,  however,  of  extreme  misfortune 
that  just  at  this  time  when  all  was  so  well 
for  my  chances,  and  when  we  were  nearing 
our  destination,  the  weather  should  have 
seen  fit  to  undergo  a  sudden  change,  and 
that  not  only  did  the  wind  shift,  but  all  the 
summer  clearness  of  the  back  end  of  this 
fair  August  month  should  have  departed. 
Indeed,  so  strange  a  change  came  over  the 
elements  that  we  knew  not  what  to  make 
of  it.  Up  to  now  the  heat  had  been  great, 
so  great,  indeed,  that  I  —  who  could  neither 
endure  the  stuffiness  of  my  cabin  below  nor 
the  continual  going  and  coming  of  the  negro 
in  the  gangway  which  separated  his  mas- 
ter's cabin  from  mine,  nor  the  stench  of 
some  drugs  the  old  man  was  continually 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     61 

taking- — had  been  sleeping-  on  the  deck. 
But  now  the  tempest  became  so  violent  that 
I  was  forced  to  retreat  back  to  the  cabin,  to 
bear  the  closeness  as  best  I  mig-ht,  to  hear 
the  flappings  of  the  black  creature's  great 
feet  on  the  wooden  floor  at  all  hours  of  the 
night,  and,  sometimes  again,  the  yowlings 
of  the  old  man  for  drink. 

For  with  the  shifting  of  the  wind  to  the 
east,  or  rather  east  by  south,  a  terrible 
storm  had  come  upon  us  ;  across  the  sea  it 
howled  and  tore,  buffetting  our  ship  sorely 
and  causing  such  destruction  that  it  seemed 
like  enough  each  moment  that  we  should  go 
to  the  bottom,  and  this  in  spite  of  every 
precaution  being  taken,  even  to  striking  our 
topmasts.  Also  we  lay  over  so  much  to  our 
starboard,  and  for  so  long,  that  again  and 
again  it  seemed  as  though  we  should  never 
right,  while  as  we  thus  lay,  the  sea  poured 
into  us  from  port  and  scuttle.  But  what 
was  worse  for  me  —  or  would  be  worse  if 
we  lived  through  the  tempest  we  were  now 
in  the  midst  of — we  were  being  blown  not 
only  off  our  course,  but  back  again  the  very 
way  we  had  come,  and  out  into  the  western 
ocean,  so  that  to  all  else  there  had  to  be 
added  the  waste  of  most  precious  time. 
Time  that,  in  my  case,  was  golden ! 

Meanwhile  Carstairs,  who   during  the 


62     ACROSS  THE  SALT   SEAS. 

whole  of  our  passage  from  Rotterdam  had 
carefully  kept  his  cabin  —  not  even  coming 
on  deck  during  the  time  we  were  chased  by 
the  French  frigate  nor,  later,  when  the  two 
ships  of  war  had  battered  and  driven  her 
on  to  the  shoal  bank  —  now  saw  fit  to  appear 
on  deck  and  to  take  a  keen  interest  in  all 
that  was  going  on  around. 

"A  brave  storm,"  he  said,  shrieking  the 
words  in  my  ear  —  I  having  at  last  struggled 
up  again  to  get  air  —  amidst  the  howling  of 
the  wind  and  the  fall  of  the  sea  upon  our 
deck,  each  wave  sounding  as  though  a 
mountain  had  fallen,  "  a  brave  storm  !  Ha ! 
I  have  seen  a-many,  yet  I  know  not  if  ever 
one  worse  than  this." 

"What  think  you  of  our  chances?"  I 
bawled  back  at  him,  while  I  noticed  that  his 
eye  was  brighter  and  clearer  than  I  had  seen 
it  before,  and  that  in  his  face  there  was  some 
colour. 

"  We  shall  do  very  well,"  he  answered, 
"having  borne  up  till  now.  That  fellow 
knows  his  work, "and  he  nodded  toward 
where  Tandy  was  engaged  in  getting  the 
foreyard  swayed  up.  "  We  shall  do." 

His  words  were  indeed  prophetic,  for 
not  an  hour  after  he  had  uttered  them  the 
wind  shifted  once  more,  coming  now  full 
from  the  south,  which  was,  however,  of  all 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     63 

directions  the  very  one  we  would  not  have 
had  it  in  ;  and  with  the  change  the  sea  went 
down  rapidly,  so  that  in  still  another  hour 
the  waves,  instead  of  breaking  over  our 
decks,  only  slapped  heavily  against  the 
ship's  sides,  while  the  vessel  itself  wallowed 
terribly  amongst  them.  Yet  so  far  we  were 
saved  from  worse. 

But  now  to  this  there  succeeded  still 
another  change  —  the  sea  began  to  smoke  as 
though  it  were  afire ;  from  it  there  rose  a 
cold  steaming  vapour,  and  soon  we  could 
not  see  twenty  yards  ahead  of  us,  nor  was 
the  man  at  the  wheel  able  to  see  beyond  the 
forehatch.  So  that  now  we  could  not  move 
in  any  direction  for  fear  of  what  might  be 
near,  and  were  forced  to  burn  lights  and 
fire  guns  at  intervals  to  give  notice  of  our 
whereabouts  in  chance  of  passers  by. 

Again,  however  —  this  time  late  at  night 
—  the  elements  changed,  the  mist  and  fog 
thinned  somewhat  and  rose  some  feet  from 
the  surface  of  the  now  almost  tranquil  sea  ; 
it  was  at  last  possible  to  look  ahead  some- 
what, though  not  possible  to  proceed,  even 
if  the  light  wind  which  blew  beneath  the  fog 
would  have  taken  us  the  way  we  desired 
to  go. 

And  still  the  mist  cleared  so  that  we  could 
see  a  mile — or  two  miles — around,  and  then 


64     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

we  observed  a  sight  that  none  of  us  could 
comprehend,  not  even  Cuddiford,  who 
whispered  once  to  himself,  though  I  heard 
him  plain  enough,  "What  in  the  name  of 
the  devil  does  it  mean?  What?  What?" 

Afar  off,  on  our  starboard  quarter,  we 
saw  in  the  darkness  of  the  night — there  was 
no  moon — innumerable  lights  dotting-  the 
sea;  long-  lines  of  light  such  as  tiers  of 
ports  will  emit  from  ships,  also  lights 
higher  up,  as  though  on  mastheads  and 
yards  —  numbers  of  them,  some  scores 
each  in  their  cluster. 

Cuddiford 's  voice  sounded  in  my  ear. 
Cuddiford's  finger  was  laid  on  my  arm. 

"  You  understand?  "  he  asked. 

"No." 

" '  T  is  some  great  fleet." 

I  started  —  hardly  could  I  repress  that 
start  or  prevent  myself  from  exclaiming: 
"The  English  fleet  for  Cadiz!" 

Yet  even  as  I  did  so,  the  water  rippled 
on  the  bows  where  we  were  standing.  It 
sounded  as  if  those  ripples  blended  with 
the  man's  voice  and  made  a  chuckling  laugh. 

"A  large  fleet,"  he  said  slowly,  "leaving 
Spain  and  making  for  the  open." 

Then  a  moment  later  he  was  gone  from 
my  side. 

Leaving  Spain  and  making  for  the  open! 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     65 

What  then  did  that  mean?  "Leaving-  Spain 
and  making-  for  the  open!"  I  repeated  to 
myself  again.  Was  that  true?  And  to  as- 
sure myself  I  leant  further  forward  into 
the  nig-ht  —  as  thoug-h  half  a  yard  nearer  to 
those  passing-  lig-hts  would  assist  my  sight! 
— and  peered  at  those  countless  clusters. 

Was  it  the  English  fleet  that  was  leaving 
Spain?  Whether  that  was  or  not — whether 
't  was  in  truth  the  English  fleet  or  not  —  it 
was  leaving  Spain;  I  could  understand  that. 
We  in  our  ship  were  almost  stationary;  that 
body  was  rapidly  passing  out  to  sea. 

What  did  it  mean?  Perhaps  that  the 
English  had  done  their  work  —  destroyed 
Cadiz.  I  did  not  know  if  such  were  pos- 
sible, but  thought  it  might  be  so.  Perhaps 
that  the  galleons  had  been  on  their  way  in, 
after  all,  and  had  been  warned  of  those  who 
were  there  before  them,  and  so  had  turned 
tail  and  fled. 

Yet  I  feared  —  became  maddened  and 
distraught  almost  at  the  very  idea — that, 
having  done  their  work,  my  countrymen 
should  have  left  the  place,  gone  out  to  the 
open  on,  perhaps,  their  way  back  to  Eng- 
land. Became  maddened  because,  if  such 
were  the  case,  there  was  no  opportunity 
left  me  of  advising  them  about  the  galleons. 
While,  on  the  other  hand,  if  that  passing 


66     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

fleet  was  in  truth  the  galleons,  then  were 
they  saved,  since  never  would  they  come 
near  the  coast  of  Spain  again  while  British 
ships  remained  there.  Rather  would  they 
keep  the  open  for  months,  rather  put  back 
again  to  the  Indies  than  run  themselves  into 
the  lion's  jaws. 

Truly  I  was  sore  distressed  in  ponder- 
ing-over  all  this;  truly  my  chance  of  pro- 
motion seemed  very  far  off  now.  Yet  I  had 
one  consolation:  I  had  done  my  best;  it 
was  not  my  fault. 

That  night,  to  make  things  more  un- 
pleasant than  they  already  were — and  to 
me  it  seemed  that  nothing  more  was  want- 
ing to  aid  my  melancholy! — Cuddiford  be- 
gan his  drinkings  and  carousals  again, 
shutting  off  himself  with  the  negro  in  his 
cabin,  from  whence  shortly  issued  the 
sounds  of  glasses  clinking,  of  snatches  of 
songs — in  which  the  black  joined — of  hal- 
loaing and  of  toasts  and  other  things.  Ri- 
bald bawlings,  too,  of  a  song  of  which  I 
could  catch  only  a  few  words  now  and 
again,  but  which  seemed  to  be  about  a 
mouse  which  had  escaped  from  a  trap  and 
also  from  a  great  fierce  cat  ready  to  pounce 
on  it.  Then,  once  more,  clappings  and 
clinkings  of  glasses  together — an  intolera- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     67 

ble  noise,  be  sure ! — and  presently,  with  an 
oath,  confusion  drank  to  England. 

"So,"  thinks  I,  "  my  gentleman,  that  is 
how  you  feel,  is  it?  Confusion  to  England ! 
Who  and  what  are  you,  then,  in  the  devil's 
name?  Spy  of  France  or  Spain,  besides 
being-  retired  filibuster,  or  what?  Confu- 
sion to  England,  eh?  " 

And  even  as  I  thought  this  and  heard 
his  evil  toast,  I  determined  to  hear  more. 
Whereon  I  slipped  quietly  off  my  bunk,  got 
out  into  the  gang-way  and  listened  across  it 
to  his  cabin  opposite,  feeling  very  sure  as  I 
did  so  that  both  he  and  his  black  imagined 
I  was  up  on  deck. 

Then  I  heard  him  say,  going  on,  evi- 
dently, with  a  phrase  he  had  begun : 

"Wherefore,  I  tell  you,  my  lily,  my 
white  -pearl,  that  those  accursed  seamen 
and  soldiers — this  Rooke,  who  chased  me 
once  so  that  I  lost  all  my  goods  in  my  flight — 
are  tricked,  hoodwinked,  embustera ; flanqufe 
comme  une  centaine  d'escargots!  Done  for 
— and  so  is  this  white-livered  Englishman 
over  there  in  t'other  cabin — who  I  do  be- 
lieve is  an  English  spy.  Ho!  that  we  had 
him  in  Maracaibo  or  Guayaquil.  Hein! 
Hey!  my  snowball?" 

"Hoop!  Hoop !"  grunted  the  brute,  his 
companion.  "Hoop!  Maracaibo!  Hoop! 


68     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

But,  but,  John  "—"John,"  thinks  I,  "and  to 
his  master!" — "don't  speak  so  loud.  Per- 
haps they  hear  you." 

"Let  them  hear  and  be  damned  to  them. 
What  care  I?"  Yet  still  he  lowered  his 
voice,  though  not  so  low  but  what  I  made 
out  his  words: 

"Fitted  out  a  fleet,  did  they,  to  intercept 
the  galleons?  Oh  !  the  beautiful  galleons! 
Oh !  the  sweet  and  lovely  galleons  I  Oh, 
my  beautiful  Neustra  Senora  de  Mer- 
cedes. You  remember  how  she  sits  on 
the  water  like  a  swan,  Caesar?  And  the 
beautiful  Santa  Susanna !  What  ships ! 
what  lading  !  Oh  !  I  heard  it  all  in  London. 
I  know.  Thought  they  would  catch  'em  in 
Cadiz,  did  they  ?  Ha !  Very  well.  Now, 
see,  my  lily  white.  They  have  been  too 
quick;  got  in  too  soon  —  and  —  and  what 's 
the  end  on 't?  Those  are  the  galleons  going 
out — back  again  to  the  sea — and  the  English 
fleet  can  stop  in  Cadiz  till  the  forts  sink 
'em  or  they  rot.  Give  me  some  more  drink. 
'Of  all  the  girls  that  there  can  be,  the 
Indy  girl  's  the  girl  for  me,' "  and  he  fell 
a-singing. 

"  If  he  is  right,  my  Lord  Marlborough 
has  been  deceived,"  I  whispered  to  myself. 
"Yet  which  knows  the  most?  Still  this 
old  ruffian  must  be  right.  Who  else  could 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     69 

be  putting-  to  sea  but  the  galleons  ?  "  and  I 
went  back  once  more  to  my  cabin  to  ponder 
over  matters. 

But  now  —  all  in  a  moment  —  there 
arose  such  an  infernal  hubbub  from  that 
other  cabin  that  one  might  have  thought  all 
the  fiends  from  below  had  been  suddenly 
let  loose;  howls  from  the  negro,  so  that  I 
thought  the  other  must  be  killing  of  him  in 
his  drunken  frenzy;  peals  of  laughter  from 
the  old  man,  hangings  and  kickings  of  bulk- 
heads and  the  crash  of  a  falling  glass.  And, 
in  the  middle  of  it  all,  down  ran  Tandy 
from  the  deck  above,  with,  as  I  thought,  a 
more  concerned  look  upon  his  face  than 
even  such  an  uproar  as  this  called  for. 
Then  he  made  at  once  for  the  cabin  where 
those  two  were;  yet,  even  as  he  advanced 
swiftly,  he  paused  to  ask  me  if  I  had  heard 
him  speak  a  passing  picaroon  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  back. 

"Not  I,"  I  replied.  "Who  could  hear 
aught  above  in  such  a  din  as  this  below? 
What  did  they  tell  you  ?" 

"Bad!  Bad  news.  But  first  to  quell 
these  brutes,"  and  he  ran  on  as  he  spoke, 
and  kicked  against  the  fast-closed  cabin 
door. 

"Bad  news!"  I  repeated  to  myself,  even 
as  I  followed  him.  "Bad  news.  My  God  ! 


70    ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

the  old  villain  is  right  and  the  galleons 
have  escaped.  Farewell,  my  hopes  of  pro- 
motion; I  may  as  well  get  back  to  the  regi- 
ment by  the  first  chance  that  comes." 

But  now  I  had  to  listen  to  Tandy  setting 
his  other  passenger  to  his  facings,  which 
he  did  without  more  ado,  since,  the  cabin 
door  not  being  opened  quick  enough,  he 
applied  his  brawny  shoulder  to  it  and  soon 
forced  it  to  slide  back  in  its  frame,  the 
lock  being  torn  out  by  his  exertion.  Then 
after  a  few  oaths  and  curses,  which  need 
not  be  set  down  here,  he  roared  as  follows: 

"See  here,  you  drunken,  disreputable 
old  vagabond,  out  you  go  from  this  ship  to- 
morrow morning,  either  ashore  in  Lagos 
bay  or  in  the  first  Guarda  Costa  or  sailing 
smack  that  comes  anigh  us  carrying  the 
Portygee  colours.  And  as  for  you,  you 
black,  shambling  brute,"  turning  to  the 
negro  and  seizing  him  by  the  wool,  whereby 
he  dragged  him  into  the  gangway,  after 
which  he  administered  to  him  a  rousing 
kick,  "  get  you  forward  amongst  the  men, 
and,  by  God!  if  you  come  back  aft  again 
I  '11  shoot  you  like  a  dog." 

"My  friend,"  said  old  Carstairs,  speak- 
ing now  with  as  much  sobriety  and  dignity 
as  though  he  had  been  drinking  water  all 
these  days;  "my  good  friend,  you  forget. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     71 

I  have  paid  my  passage  to  Cadiz,  and  to 
Cadiz  I  will  go,  or  the  nearest  touching 
point.  Also,  there  are  laws " 

"There  are,"  roared  Tandy,  "and  'twill 
not  suit  you  to  come  within  a  hundred 
leagues  of  any  of  them.  To-morrow  you 
go  ashore." 

"I  have  business  with  the  in-coming 
galleons,"  said  Carstairs,  leering  at  him. 
"Those  galleons  going  out  now  will  come 
in  again,  you  know.  Soon!"  and  still  he 
leered. 

"Galleons,  you  fool ! "  replied  the  captain. 
"  Those  are  the  English  warships.  Your 
precious  galleons  may  be  at  the  bottom  of 
the  ocean.  Very  like  are  by  now." 

And  then  that  old  man's  face  was  a  sight 
to  see,  as,  suddenly,  it  blanched  a  deathly 
white. 

"The  English  warships,"  he  murmured. 
"The  English  warships,"  and  then  fell  back 
gasping  to  his  berth,  muttering:  "Out 
here!  Out  here!" 

"Is  this  true?"  I  asked  him  a  moment 
later,  as  we  went  along  forward  together. 
"Is  it  true?" 

"Ay,  partly,"  he  replied.  "Partly. 
They  are  the  English  ships  of  war,  but,  my 
lad,  I  have  had  news  which  I  did  not  tell 
him.  They  are  in  retreat.  Have  failed. 


72     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Cadiz  is  not  taken,  and  they  are  on  their 
way  back  to  England." 

"My  God!"  I  exclaimed.  And  I  know 
that  as  I  so  spoke  I,  too,  was  white  to 
the  lips. 

"On  their  way  back  to  England!"  I 
repeated. 

"Ay— that 's  it,"  he  said. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GALLEONS  ABOUT 1 

"  What 's  to  do  now?  That 's  the  ques- 
tion," said  Tandy,  an  hour  later,  as  he  and 
I  sat  in  his  little  cabin  abaft  the  mainmast, 
while,  to  hearten  ourselves  up,  we  sipped 
tog-ether  a  bottle  of  Florence  wine  which 
he  had  on  board,  and  he  sucked  at  his 
great  pipe.  "  What  now?  No  use  for  me 
to  think  of  Cadiz,  though  what  a  chance 
I  would  have  had  if  our  countrymen  had 
only  made  themselves  masters  of  it !  And 
for  you,  Mr.  Crespin?  For  you?  I  sup- 
pose, in  truth,  you  knew  of  this  —  had 
some  affair  of  commerce,  too,  which  brought 
you  this  way,  on  the  idea  that  they  would 
be  sure  to  capture  the  place." 

"Ay,  I  had  some  idea,"  I  answered, 
moodily,  thinking-  it  mattered  very  little 
what  I  said  now,  short  of  the  still  great 
secret  that  the  galleons  were  going  into 
Vigo,  and  never  did  mean  coming  into 
these  more  southern  regions.  This  secret 
I  still  kept,  I  say  —  and  for  one  reason.  It 
was  this,  namely,  that  I  thought  it  very 

73 


74     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

likely  that,  even  though  the  fleet  under 
Rooke  might  be  driven  back  from  Cadiz, 
they  yet  had  a  chance  of  encountering  the 
galleons  making  their  way  up  to  Vigo,  and, 
if  they  did  so,  I  felt  very  sure  that  they 
would  attack  those  vessels,  even  in  their 
own  hour  of  defeat.  Therefore,  I  said 
nothing  about  the  real  destination  of  the 
Spanish  treasure  ships,  though  I  knew 
well  enough  that  all  hope  was  gone  of  my 
being  the  fortunate  individual  to  put  my 
countrymen  on  their  track. 

Also,  I  remembered  that  that  hoary- 
headed  old  ruffian,  Carstairs,  had  spoken 
of  two  at  least  of  those  galleons  as  being 
of  importance  to  him  —  and  you  may  be 
sure  that  I  had  no  intention  whatever  of 
enlightening  him  as  to  anything  I  knew. 

"What  did  the  Portuguese  picaroon 
tell  you?"  I  asked  of  Tandy,  now;  "what 
information  give  ?  And  —  are  they  sure  of 
their  news?" 

"Oh,  very  sure,"  he  answered.  "No 
doubt  about  that.  No  doubt  whatever  that 
we  have  failed  in  the  attack  on  Cadiz  — 
abandoned  the  siege,  gone  home.  They 
were  too  many  for  us  there,  and  —  't  is  not 
often  that  it  happens,  God  be  praised ! — we 
are  beaten," 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     75 

"But  why  so  sure?  And  are  they  — 
these  Portuguese —  to  be  trusted?" 

"What  use  to  tell  lies?  They  are  Por- 
tuguese, and  would  have  welcomed  a  vic- 
tory." 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders  at  this  —  then 
asked  again  what  the  strength  of  their  in- 
formation was. 

To  which  the  captain  made  reply  : 

"  They  came  in,  it  seems,  early  in  the 
month,  and  called  on  the  governor  to  declare 
for  Austria  against  France,  to  which  he  re- 
turned reply  that  it  was  not  his  custom  to 
desert  his  king,  as  many  of  the  English 
were  in  the  habit  of  doing,  he  understood ; 
whereon —  the  Duke  of  Ormond  being  vexed 
by  such  an  answer,  which,  it  seems,  did  re- 
flect on  him  —  the  siege  of  Port  St.  Mary's 
commenced,  the  place  being  taken  by 
our  people  and  being  found  to  be  full  of 
wealth-  — " 

"Taken  and  full  of  wealth!"  I  ex- 
claimed. "Yet  you  say  we  are  defeated!" 

" Listen,"  went  on  Tandy,  "  that  was  as 
nothing;  for  now  the  German  Prince  of 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  who  had  come  too,  in 
the  interests  of  his  Austrian  master,  inter- 
fered, begging  of  Rooke  and  that  other  not 
to  destroy  the  town,  since  it  would  injure 
their  cause  forever  with  the  Spaniards, 


76     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  — and  — well,  the  Portygee  captain  of 
that  picaroon  I  spoke  says  that  they  were 
only  too  willing-  to  fall  in  with  his  desires 
and  retire  without  making  further  at- 
tempt." 

"And  these  are  English  seamen  and 
soldiers  !  "  I  muttered  furiously.  "  My  God! 
To  turn  tail  thus!" 

"  Ormond  agreed  not  with  these  views, 
it  seems,"  Tandy  went  on,  "but  he  could 
not  outweigh  the  admirals  — and  that  is  all 
I  know,  except  that  he  will  perhaps  im- 
peach 'em  when  they  get  back  to  England. 
And,  anyway,  they  are  gone." 

"And  with  them,"  I  thought  to  myself, 
"  go  all  my  hopes.  The  galleons  will  get  in 
safe  enough  ;  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to 
make  back  for  Holland  and  tell  the  earl 
that  I  have  failed.  No  more  than  that,"  and 
my  bitterness  was  great  within  me  at  these 
reflections,  you  may  be  sure. 

Tandy,  I  doubted  not,  observed  these 
feelings  which  possessed  me,  for  a  minute 
later  he  said — while  I  observed  that  in  a 
kindly  way  he  filled  up  my  glass  for  me,  as 
I  sat  brooding  with  my  head  upon  my  hands 
by  the  side  of  the  cuddy  table : 

"I  see  this  touches  you  nearly,  Mr. 
Crespin,  and  am  grieved.  Yet  what  will 
you  do  now  ?  Since  you  have  missed  your 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     77 

chance  —  I  know  not  what  —  will  you  return 
with  me?  If  so  you  are  very  welcome, 
and  —  and,"  he  spoke  this  with  a  deli- 
cacy I  should  scarce  have  looked  for,  "and 
there  will  be  no  —  no — passage  money 
needed.  La  Mouche  Noire  is  at  your  serv- 
ice to  Rotterdam,  or,  for  the  matter  of  that, 
to  Deal  or  London,  or  where  you  will. 
I  shall  but  stay  to  go  in  to  Lagos  for  wood 
and  water,  and,  perhaps,  sell  some  of  my 
goods,  if  fortune  serves  so  far,  and  then  — 
why  then,  't  is  back  again  to  Holland  or  Eng- 
land to  see  what  may  be  done.  I  have  the 
passage  moneys  of  you  and  that  old  ribald 
aft.  For  me  things  might  be  worse,  thank 
God  !" 

At  first  I  knew  not  what  answer  to  make 
to  this  kindly  offer  —  for  kindly  it  was, 
since  there  was  according  to  our  compact 
no  earthly  reason  whatsoever  why  he  should 
convey  me  back  again,  except  as  a  passen- 
ger paying  highly  for  the  service.  In  truth, 
I  was  so  sick  and  hipped  at  the  vanishing 
of  this,  my  great  opportunity,  that  I  had 
recked  nothing  of  what  happened  now.  All 
I  knew  was  that  I  had  failed ;  that  I  had 
missed,  although  through  no  fault  of  mine 
own,  a  glorious  chance.  Therefore  I  said 
gloomily : 

"  Do  what  vou  will  —  I  care  not.    I  must 


78     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

get  me  back  to  Holland  somehow,  and  may 
as  well  take  passage  there  with  you  as  go 
other  ways.  In  truth  there  is  none  that  I 
know  of.  Yet,  kind  as  your  offer  is  to  con- 
vey me  free  of  charge,  it  must  not  be.  I  can- 
not let  you  be  at  a  loss,  and  I  have  a  suffi- 
ciency of  money." 

"Oh!  as  for  that,  'tis  nothing.  How- 
ever, we  will  talk  on  this  later.  Now  let 's 
see  for  getting  into  Lagos — there  is  noth- 
ing else  to  be  done.  'Specially  as  I  must 
have  wood  and  water." 

Then  he  went  away  to  study  his  chart 
and  compass,  while  I  sought  my  bed  again, 
and,  all  being  perfect  silence  at  this  time  in 
Carstairs'  cabin — doubtless  he  was  quite 
drunk  by  now! — I  managed  to  get  some 
sleep,  though  'twas  uneasy  at  the  best. 

In  the  morning  when  I  again  went  on 
deck  I  saw  that  we  were  in  full  sail,  as  I 
had  guessed  us  to  be  from  the  motion  of 
the  ship  while  dressing  myself  below;  also, 
a  look  at  the  compass  box  told  me  we  were 
running  due  north — for  Lagos.  And,  if 
aught  could  have  cheered  the  heart  of  a 
drooping  man,  it  should  have  been  the  sur- 
roundings of  this  fair,  bright  morning.  It 
was,  I  remember  well,  September  22 — the 
glistening  sea,  looking  like  a  great  blue  dia- 
mond sparkling  beneath  the  bright  sun,  the 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     79 

white  spume  flung-  up  forward  over  our 
bows,  the  equally  white  sheets  above.  Also, 
near  us,  to  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  morn, 
the  sea  was  dotted  with  a-many  small  craft, 
billander  rigged,  their  sails  a  bright  scar- 
let— and  these,  Tandy  told  me,  were  Portu- 
guese fishing  boats  out  catching  the  tunny, 
which  abounds  hereabout.  While,  away  on 
our  starboard  beam,  were — I  started  as  I 
looked  at  them — what  were  they? 

Three  great  vessels  near  together,  their 
huge  white  sails  bellied  out  to  the  breeze, 
sailing  very  free;  the  foam  tossed  from 
their  stems,  almost  contemptuously,  it 
seemed,  so  proudly  did  they  dash  it  away 
from  them ;  vessels  full  rigged,  and  tightly, 
too;  vessels  along  the  sides  of  which  there 
ran  tier  upon  tier  of  gun-ports;  vessels 
also,  from  each  of  whose  mastheads  there 
flew  a  flag- — the  flag  of  England ! 

"What  does  it  mean?"  I  asked  Tandy, 
who  strolled  along  the  poop  toward  me,  his 
face  having  on  it  a  broad  grin,  while  his  eye 
drooped  into  that  wink  he  used  so.  "What 
does  it  mean?  They  are  our  own  ships  of 
war;  surely  they  are  not  chasing  us ! " 

"Never  fear ! "  said  he.  "They  are  but 
consorts  of  ours  just  now.  Oh !  it 's  a 
brave  talk  we  have  been  having  together 
with  the  flags  this  morning.  They  are  of 


80    ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

the  fleet — are  Her  Majesty's  ships  Eagle, 
Stirling  Castle  and  Pembroke  —  and  are 
doing-  exactly  the  same  as  ourselves,  are 
going1  into  Lagos  for  water.  Also  those 
transports  behind,"  and  he  pointed  away 
aft,  where  half  a  dozen  of  those  vessels 
were  following-. 

"The  fleet,"  I  gasped,  "the  fleet  that  has 
left  Cadiz — the  great  fleet  under  Sir  George 
Rooke — and  going  into  Lagos!" 

"Some  of  them  —  those  you  see  now  on 
our  beam,  and  the  transports  coming  up." 

"And  the  others,"  I  gasped  again,  over- 
come by  this  joyful  news,  "the  others? 
What  of  them?." 

"Oh!  they  will  lie  off  till  these  go  out 
with  the  fresh  water  casks.  Then  for  Eng- 
land." 

"Never,"!  said  to  myself.  "Not  yet, 
at  least,"  and  I  turned  my  face  away  so  that 
Tandy  should  not  perceive  the  emotion 
which  I  felt  sure  must  be  depicted  on  it. 

For  think,  only  think,  what  this  meant 
to  England  —  to  me ! 

It  meant  that  I  —  the  only  man  in  the 
seas  around  Spain  and  Portugal  who  knew 
of  where  the  galleons  would  be,  or  were  by 
now  —  I  who  alone  could  tell  them,  tell  this 
great  fleet,  which  I  had  but  lately  missed, 
of  the  whereabouts  of  those  galleons — had 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     81 

by  God's  providence  come  into  communica- 
tion with  them  again ;  meant  that  the  instant 
we  were  in  Lagos  bay  I  could  go  aboard  one 
of  those  great  warships  and  divulge  all — 
tell  them  to  make  for  Vigo,  tell  them  that 
it  was  in  their  power  to  deal  so  fierce  a  blow 
to  Spain  and  France  as  should  cripple  them. 
I  could  have  danced  and  sung  for  very 
joy.  I  could  have  flung  my  arms  around 
Tandy's  sun-burned  and  hairy  neck  in  ec- 
stasy, have  performed  any  act  of  craziness 
which  men  indulge  in  when  a  great  happi- 
ness falls  upon  them ;  nay,  would  have  done 
any  deed  of  folly,  but  that  I  was  restrained 
by  the  reflection  of  how  all  depended  on  me 
now,  and  of  how  —  since  I  was  the  bearer  of 
so  great  a  piece  of  news  from  so  great  a  man 
as  the  Earl  of  Marlborough  —  it  behooved 
me  to  act  with  circumspection  and  decorum. 
Therefore  I  calmed  myself,  instead  of  in- 
dulging in  any  transports  whatever.  I  rec- 
ollect that  I  even  forced  myself  to  make 
some  useless  remark  upon  the  beauty  of 
the  smiling  morn;  that  I  said  also  that  I 
thought  La  Mouche  Noire  was  making  as 
good  seaway  as  the  great  frigates  them- 
selves, then  asked  coldly  and  indiffer- 
ently, with  the  same  desire  for  disguise, 
when  Tandy  thought  we  might  all  be  in  the 
bay  and  at  anchorage. 


82     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

He  glanced  up  at  the  sun  —  he  had  a  big 
tortoise-shell  watch  in  his  pocket,  but,  sail- 
or-like, never  looked  at  it  during-  the  day, 
and  when  he  had  the  sun  for  horloge — 
then  leaned  over  the  high  gunwale  of  the 
ship  and  looked  between  his  hands  toward 
the  north,  and  said : 

"  The  old  castle  of  Penhas  is  rising  rap- 
idly to  view.  'T  is  now  eight  of  the  clock. 
By  midday  we  shall  have  dropped  anchor." 

"And  the  frigates?  "  I  asked,  with  a  nod 
toward  the  queen's  great  ships,  which  still 
were  on  our  beam,  in  the  same  position  to 
us  as  before. 

"About  the  same.  Only  they  will  go  in 
first  to  make  choice  of  their  anchorage." 
Then  he  added:  "But  they  will  not  stay 
long;  no  longer  than  to  fill  the  casks.  Per- 
haps a  day,  or  till  nightfall." 

'"Twill  be  long  enough  for  me,"  I 
thought.  "An  hour  would  suffice  to  get 
on  board  one  of  them,  ask  to  be  taken  off 
and  sent  to  the  admiral's  ship  to  tell  my 
tale.  Long  enough." 

And  now  I  went  below  again — with  what 
different  feelings  from  those  which  pos- 
sessed me  when  I  went  on  deck,  you  may 
well  suppose — and  began  hastily  to  bestow 
my  necessaries,  such  as  they  were,  into  the 
bag  I  had  carried  behind  me  on  my  horse 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     83 

from  Venloo  to  Rotterdam:  a  change  of 
linen,  some  brushes,  a  sleeping-  gown  and  a 
good  cloak,  carried  either  around  me  or  the 
bag,  if  warm  and  dry  weather,  my  powder 
flask  and  a  little  sack  of  bullets  for  my  cav- 
alry pistols  —  that  was  all.  Also  I  counted 
my  pieces,  took  out  my  shagreen  bill  case 
and  saw  that  my  LordMarlborough's  money 
drafts  were  safe,  as  well  as  my  commission 
to  the  regiment,  which  must  now  serve  as  a 
passport  and  letter  of  presentation,  and  I 
was  ready  to  go  ashore  at  any  moment, 
and  to  transfer  myself  to  one  of  the  ships 
if  they  would  take  me  with  them  after  I  had 
told  my  news,  as  my  Lord  had  said  I  was  to 
demand  they  should  do.  Yet,  little  while 
enough  as  I  had  been  a-doing  of  these  things, 
'  t  was  not  so  quickly  finished  but  that  there 
was  time  for  an  interruption ;  interruption 
from  Mr.  Carstairs,  who,  a  moment  or  so 
after  I  had  been  in  my  cabin,  tapped  gently, 
almost  furtively,  it  seemed  to  me,  upon  the 
door,  and  on  my  bidding  him  come  in — I  sus- 
pecting very  well  who  it  was  —  put  his  head 
through  the  opening  he  had  made  by  push- 
ing it  back. 

"Are  we  in  danger?  "  he  asked,  while  as 
he  spoke,  I  could  not  but  observe  that  he 
looked  very  badly  this  morning  —  perhaps 
from  the  renewals  of  his  drinkings.  His  face 


84     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

was  all  puckered  and  drawn,  and  whiter, 
it  seemed  to  me,  than  before;  his  eyes  were 
hideously  bloodshot — that  must,  I  guessed, 
be  the  drink — while  the  white,  coarse  hand 
with  which  he  grasped  the  panel  shook,  I 
observed. 

"  Danger!  "  I  repeated  coldly,  as  well  as 
curtly,  for,  as  you  may  be  sure,  I  had  come 
to  thoroughly  despise,  as  well  as  cordially 
to  detest,  this  dissolute  old  man  who,  be- 
sides, had  a  black  and  fearful  past  behind 
him,  if  his  feverish  wanderings  of  mind 
were  to  be  trusted.  "Danger!  From 
what?" 

"There  are  war  frigates  by  us,"  he 
whispered.  "  Do  you  not  know?" 

"  Yes,  I  know.  But  you  who  have  been, 
it  seems,  a  sailor,  should  also  know  our  own 
flag,  I  think." 

"  Our  own  flag !    Our  English  flag ! " 

"  Can  you  not  see?" 

**  They  are  on  the  other  side  of  the  ship. 
I  cannot  see  aught  through  my  port." 

"  Look  through  mine,  then,"  I  answered, 
pointing  to  it,  and  he,  with  many  courteous 
excuses  for  venturing  to  intrude — he  was 
much  changed  now,  I  thought — went  over 
to  my  window,  and  gazed  at  the  queen's 
vessels. 

"True,"  he  said.     "True.     They  are 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     85 

English — our — ships.  Where  could  they 
come  from,  do  you  suppose?" 

"From  the  Cadiz  fleet.  And  they  are 
going  into  Lagos,  as  we  are." 

"  And  then — do  you  know  where  to,  then 
— afterward — noble  sir?" 

"  Then  they  will  go  north." 

He  drew  a  long  breath  at  this — I  guessed 
it  to  be  a  sigh  of  satisfaction  at  the  thought 
that  the  English  fleet  should  be  going  north, 
while  the  galleons,  in  which  he  had  seemed 
to  be  so  concerned,  should  either  be  going 
into,  or  gone  into,  Cadiz — as  he  supposed. 
Then  he  said : 

"Oh,  sir,  this  is,  indeed,  good  news. 
For — for — I  have  business  at  Cadiz — very 
serious  business,  and — if  they  had  remained 
here  in  the  south  they  might  have  done 
much  harm  to  honest  traders,  might  they 
not?  Do  you  not  think  so?" 

"They  may  do  harm  elsewhere,"  I  an- 
swered, again  curtly.  And  my  brevity 
caused  him  to  look  at  me  enquiringly. 

"  What  harm?    What  can  they  do?" 

"  Oh !  as  for  that,"  I  said,  unable  to  resist 
the  temptation  of  repaying  him  somewhat 
for  all  the  discomfort  he  had  caused  in  the 
ship,  and  also  because  I  so  much  despised 
him,  "as  for  that,  they  might  do  much. 
They  say  there  are  some  galleons  about. 


86     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Supposing-  they  should  meet  them.  'T  is  a 
great  fleet ;  it  could  be  fateful  to  a  weaker 
one." 

"  Galleons  !  Galleons  about !  "  he  re- 
peated— shrieked,  almost.  "  Nay  !  Nay  ! 
Nay!  The  galleons  are  safe  in  Cadiz  by 
now." 

"Are  they?"  I  said,  shrugging-  of  my 
shoulders. 

"Are  they  not?"  And  now  his  face  was 
death  itself. 

"We  spoke  a  ship  last  night  which  did 
not  say  so,"  I  answered.  "No  galleons 
have  passed  this  way,  gone  in  yet." 

I  almost  regretted  my  words,  seeing,  a 
moment  later,  their  effect  on  him.  For 
that  effect  was  great  —  I  had  nigh  written 
terrible. 

He  staggered  back  from  the  port-hole 
by  which  he  had  been  standing,  gazing  out 
at  the  Pembroke  and  her  consorts,  his 
face  waxy  now  from  the  absence  of  blood  ; 
his  lips  a  bluish  purple,  so  that  I  could  see 
the  cracks  in  them  ;  his  coarse  white  hands 
twitching ;  and  his  eyes  roving  round  my 
cabin  lighted  on  my  washing  commode, 
on  which  stood  the  water  ewer ;  then  he 
seized  it  and  the  glass,  poured  out  from 
one  to  the  other  —  his  hand  shook  so  that 
the  neck  of  the  vessel  clinked  a  tune  upon 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     87 

the  rim  of  the  glass  —  and  drank,  yet  not 
without  some  sort  of  a  murmured  apol- 
ogy for  doing-  so  —  an  apology  that  became 
almost  a  whine. 

"Not  passed  this  way  —  not  gone  in 
yet?  My  God!  Where  are  they  ?  And  — 
and  —  with  that  fleet  here  —  here  —  here  — 
'twixt  here  and  Cape  St.  Vincent !  Where 
are  they  ?  " 

"Probably  coming  in  now  —  on  their 
way,"  I  made  answer.  "Or  very  near." 
Then  next  said,  quietly:  "  You  seem  con- 
cerned about  this  ?  " 

"Concerned!"  he  wailed.  "Concerned! 
I  have  my  fortune,  my  all  —  't  is  not  much, 
yet  much  to  me  —  on  board  two  of  the  gal- 
leons, and  —  and  —  ah  1"  and  he  clutched  at 
his  ruined  shirt  front.  "  The  English  fleet 
is  there  —  across  their  path !  My  God  I " 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LAGOS  BAY. 

Tandy  had  timed  our  arrival  in  the  bay 
with  great  exactness,  since,  soon  after  mid- 
day, both  the  queen's  ships  and  ourselves 
had  dropped  anchor  within  it,  the  former 
saluting-,  and  being-  saluted  in  return,  by 
some  artillery  from  the  crazy  old  castle 
that  rose  above  the  shore.  And  now  from 
those  three  frigates  away  went  pinnaces 
and  jolly  boats,  as  well  as  the  great  long 
boats  and  launches,  all  in  a  hurry  to  fetch 
off  the  water  which  they  needed,  while  also 
I  could  see  very  well  that  from  the  Pem- 
broke they  were  a-hoisting  overboard  their 
barge,  into  which  got  some  of  the  land 
officers  —  as  the  sailors  call  the  soldiers  — 
and  also  a  gentleman  in  black  who  was,  I 
supposed,  a  chaplain. 

And  then  I  considered  that  it  was  time 
for  me  to  be  ashore,  too,  since  I  knew  not 
how  long  't  would  take  for  the  ships  of  war 
to  get  in  what  they  wanted,  and  to  be  off  and 
away  again;  though  Tandy  told  me  I 
need  be  in  no  manner  of  hurry,  since  they 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     89 

had  let  down  what  he  called  their  shore 
anchors,  which  they  would  not  have  done 
had  they  intended  going1  away  again  in  a 
moment,  when  they  would  have  used  in- 
stead their  kedge,  or  pilot,  anchors. 

However,  I  was  so  impatient  that  I 
would  not  be  stayed,  and  consequently 
begged  the  captain  to  let  me  have  one  of 
the  shore  boats,  which  had  come  out  on  our 
arrival  and  were  now  all  around  us,  called 
alongside;  and  into  this  I  jumped  the  in- 
stant it  touched  our  ship.  My  few  goods 
I  left  on  board,  to  be  brought  on  land  when 
the  captain  himself  came,  which  he  intended 
to  do  later;  nor  did  I  make  my  farewells  to 
him,  since  I  felt  pretty  sure  we  should  meet 
again  shortly,  while  it  was  by  no  means 
certain  that  the  admiral  would  take  me  with 
him,  after  I  had  delivered  my  news;  but, 
instead,  might  order  me  to  return  at  once 
to  the  earl  with  some  reply  message.  Yet 
I  hoped  this  would  not  be  so,  especially 
since  his  Lordship  had  bidden  me  see  the 
thing  out  and  then  bring  him,  as  fast  as  I 
could  make  my  way  back  to  the  Nether- 
lands, my  account  of  what  had  been  done. 

As  for  that  miserable  old  creature,  Car- 
stairs,  I  clean  forgot  all  about  him;  nor  even 
if  I  had  remembered  his  existence,  should 
I  have  troubled  to  pay  him  any  adieux, 


90    ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

for  in  truth,  I  never  supposed  that  I  should 
see  him  again  in  this  world,  and  for  cer- 
tain, I  had  no  desire  to  do  so  ;  yet  as  luck 
would  have  it  —  but  there  is  no  need  to  an- 
ticipate. 

I  jumped  into  the  shore  boat,  I  say,  as 
soon  as  it  came  along-side  La  Mouche 
Noire,  and  was  quickly  rowed  into  the 
port,  observing  as  I  went  that  there  was  a 
considerable  amount  of  craft  moored  in  the 
bay,  many  of  which  had  doubtless  run  in 
there  during  the  storms  of  a  night  or  two 
ago,  while,  also,  there  were  some  sheltering 
in  it  which  would  possibly  have  been  lying 
in  other  harbors  now — and  those,  Spanish 
ones — had  it  not  been  for  the  war  and  the 
consequent  danger  of  attack  from  the  Eng- 
lish and  Dutch  navies  in  any  other  waters 
than  those  of  Portugal,  she  being,  as  I  have 
said,  neutral  at  present,  though  leaning  to 
our — the  allies' — side.  To  wit,  there  were 
at  this  moment  some  German  ships,  also  a 
Dane  or  two,  a  Dutchman  and  a  Swedish 
bark  here. 

And  now  I  stepped  ashore  on  Portu- 
guese ground,  and  found  myself  torn 
hither  and  thither  by  the  most  ragged  and 
disorderly  crowd  of  beggars  one  could  im- 
agine, some  of  them  endeavouring  to  drag 
me  off  to  a  dirty  inn  at  the  waterside,  in 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     91 

front  of  which  there  sat  two  priests  a- 
drinking  with  some  scaramouches,  whom  I 
took  to  be  Algarvian  soldiers,  while  others 
around  me  had,  I  did  believe,  serious  inten- 
tions on  my  pockets  had  I  not  kept  my 
hands  tight  in  them.  Also — which  hearted 
me  up  to  see — there  were  many  of  our  Eng- 
lish sailors  about,  dressed  in  their  red 
kersey  breeches  with  white  tin  buttons, 
and  their  grey  jackets  and  Welsh  kersey 
waistcoats,  all  of  whom  were  bawling  and 
halloaing  to  one  another — making  the  con- 
fusion and  noise  worse  confounded — and 
using  fierce  oaths  in  the  greatest  good  hu- 
mour. And  then,  while  I  stood  there  won- 
dering how  I  should  find  those  whom  I 
sought  for,  I  heard  a  voice  behind  me  saying 
in  cheery  tones  in  my  own  tongue: 

"Faith,  Tom,  'tis  an  Englishman,  I  tell 
you.  No  doubt  about  that.  Look  to  his 
rig;  observe  also  he  can  scarce  speak  a 
word  more  of  the  language  of  the  country 
he  is  in  than  we  can  ourselves.  Does  not 
that  proclaim  him  one  of  us?  Except  our 
beloved  friends,  the  French,  who  are  as 
ignorant  of  other  tongues  as  we  are,  we  are 
the  worst.  Let's  board  him — we  are  all  in 
the  same  boat." 

Now,  knowing  very  well  that  these  re- 
marks could  hardly  be  applied  to  any  one 


92     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

but  me,  I  turned  round  and  found  close  to 
my  elbow  a  fat,  jolly-looking-  gentleman,  all 
clad  in  black,  and  with  a  black  scarf  slung 
across  him,  and  wearing-  a  tie-wig-,  which 
had  not  been  powdered  for  many  a  day — a 
gentleman  with  an  extremely  red  face, 
much  pitted  with  the  small-pox.  And  by 
his  side  there  stood  four  or  five  other 
gentlemen,  who,  'twas  easy  to  see  at  a 
glance,  were  of  my  own  trade — their  gold 
laced  scarlet  coats,  the  aiguillettes  of  one, 
the  cockades  in  all  their  hats,  showed  that. 

"Sir,"  said  the  one  who  had  spoken, 
taking  off  his  own  black  hat,  which,  like  his 
wig,  would  have  been  the  better  for  some 
attention,  and  bowing  low.  "I  fear  you 
overheard  me.  Yet  I  meant  no  offense. 
And,  since  I  am  very  sure  that  you  are  of 
our  country,  there  should  be  none.  Sir,  I 
am,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  present  myself, 
Mr.  Beauvoir,  chaplain  of  her  Majesty's 
ship,  Pembroke.  These  are  my  friends, 
officers  serving  under  his  Grace  of  Ormond, 
and  of  my  Lord  Shannon's  grenadiers  and 
Colonel  Pierce's  regiment";  whereon  he 
again  took  off  his  hat  to  me,  in  which  polite 
salutation  he  was  followed  by  the  others, 
while  I  returned  the  courtesy. 

And  now  I  knew  that  I  had  found  what 
I  wanted  —  knew  that  the  road  was  open  to 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     93 

me  to  reach  the  admiral,  to  tell  my  tale. 
I  had  found  those  who  could  bring  me  into 
communication  with  the  fleet ;  be  very  sure 
I  should  not  lose  sight  of  them  now.  But 
first  I  had  to  name  myself,  wherefore  I 
said : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  am  truly  charmed  to  see 
you.  Let  me  in  turn  present  myself.  My 
name  is  Mervyn  Crespin,  lieutenant  in  the 
Cuirassiers,  or  Fourth  Horse,  and  it  is  by 
God's  special  grace  that  I  have  been  so  for- 
tunate as  to  encounter  you.  For, "  and  here  I 
glanced  round  at  the  filthy  crowd  which  en- 
vironed us,  and  lowered  my  voice  a  little, 
"I  am  here  on  a  special  mission  to  your 
commander  from  my  Lord  Marlborough. 
Yet  I  thought  I  had  failed  when  I  heard  you 
were  off  and  away  from  Cadiz." 

Now,  when  I  mentioned  the  position 
which  I  held  in  the  army  all  looked  with  in- 
creased interest  at  me,  and  again  took  off 
their  hats,  while  when  I  went  on  to  speak 
of  my  mission  from  the  Earl  of  Marlbor- 
ough there  came  almost  a  dazed  look  into 
some  of  their  faces,  as  though  'twas  im- 
possible for  them  to  understand  what  the 
Captain-General  of  the  Netherlands  could 
have  to  say  with  the  fleet  that  had  been  sent 
forth  from  England  to  Cadiz. 

"A  message  to  our  commander,"  Mr. 


94     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Beauvoir  said.  "A  message  to  our  com- 
mander. By  the  Lord  Harry,  I  am  afraid 
'  tis  even  now  a  bootless  quest,  though.  Our 
commander  with  all  his  fleet  is  on  his  way 
back  to  England  —  and  pretty  well  dashed, 
too,  through  being  obliged  to  draw  off  from 
Cadiz,  I  can  tell  you.  I  fear  you  will  not  see 
him  this  side  of  Spithead,  even  if  you  go 
with  us,  who  are  about  to  follow  him." 

That  I  was  also  "pretty  well  dashed  " 
at  this  news  needs  no  telling,  since  my  feel- 
ings may  be  well  enough  conceived ;  yet  I 
plucked  up  heart  to  say : 

"I  do  think,  if  your  captain  but  hears 
the  news  I  bring,  that  he  will  endeavour  to 
catch  the  fleet  and  turn  it  from  its  home- 
ward course  —  ay,  even  though  he  sets  sail 
again  to-night  without  so  much  as  a  drop 
of  fresh  water  in  his  casks.  'T  is  great 
news  —  news  that  may  do  much  to  cripple 
France." 

"Is  it  private,  sir  ?  "  the  chaplain  asked. 
"  For  the  ears  of  the  admirals  alone?  " 

"Nay,"  said  I;  "by  no  means  private 
from  English  ears  ;  yet,"  I  continued,  with 
still  another  glance  around,  "not  to  be 
spoken  openly.  Is  there  no  room  we  can 
adjourn  to?" 

"We  have  been  trying  ourselves  for 
half  an  hour  to  find  an  inn,"  said  one  of  the 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     95 

grenadiers,  with  a  laugh,  "which  swarms 
not  with  vermin  of  all  sorts.  Yet,  come, 
let  us  endeavour  again.  Even  though  there 
is  naught  for  gentlemen  to  eat  or  drink,  we 
may,  at  least,  be  alone  and  hear  this  news. 
Come,  let  us  seek  for  some  spot,"  and  he 
elbowed  his  way  through  the  waterside 
crowd  which  still  stood  gaping  round  us, 
and  which,  even  when  we  all  moved  away, 
hung  on  our  heels,  staring  at  us  as  though 
we  were  some  strange  beings  from  another 
world.  Also,  perhaps,  they  thought  to  filch 
some  scrap  of  lace  or  galloon  from  off  our 
clothes. 

"Away,  vagabonds  !  What  in  heaven's 
name  is  Portuguese  for  'away,  vaga- 
bonds'?" muttered  Mr.  Beauvoir,  making 
signs  to  the  beggarly  brood,  who  —  perhaps 
because  often  our  ships  put  in  here  for 
water,  and  they  were  accustomed  to  see- 
ing the  English  —  held  out  their  dirty, 
claw-like  hands,  and  shrieked :  "  Moaney  ! 
Moaney  !  Englase  moaney  !  "  "Away,  I 
say,  and  leave  us  in  peace  !  " 

And  gradually,  seeing  there  was  noth- 
ing more  to  be  gotten  after  one  or  two  of 
us  had  flung  them  a  coin  or  so,  they  left  us 
to  our  devices,  so  that  we  were  able  to 
stroll  along  the  few  miserable  streets  which 
the  town  possessed  ;  able  to  observe,  also, 


96     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

that  there  was  no  decent  inn  into  which  a 
person,  who  valued  his  future  comfort  and 
freedom  from  a  month  or  so  of  itching-, 
could  put  his  foot  in  safety. 

But  now  we  reached  a  little  open  spot, 
or  plaza,  a  place  which  had  a  melancholy, 
deserted  look  —  there  being  several  empty 
houses  in  this  gloomy  square  —  while,  on 
another,  we  saw  the  arms  of  France  stuck 
up,  a  shield  with  a  blazing  sun  upon  it, 
—  the  emblem  of  Louis  !  —  and  the  lilies  on 
it,  also  —  and  guessed  it  must  be  the  con- 
sul's place  of  business.  And  here  it 
seemed  to  me  as  if  this  was  as  fitting  an 
opportunity  as  I  should  find  for  making  the 
necessary  disclosures  —  disclosures  which, 
when  these  gentlemen  had  heard  them, 
might  induce  them  to  hurry  back  to  the 
Pembroke,  bring  me  into  communication 
with  the  captain,  and  lead  him  to  put  to  sea, 
in  the  hopes  of  picking  up  the  remainder, 
and  chief  part,  of  the  English  fleet,  which 
was  but  twenty-four  hours  ahead  of  them. 

"Gentlemen,"  I  said,  "here  is  a  quiet 
spot "  —  as  indeed  it  was,  seeing  that  there 
was  nothing  alive  in  this  mournful  plaza 
but  a  few  scraggy  fowls  pecking  among  the 
stones,  and  a  lean  dog  or  two  sleeping  in  the 
sun.  "  Let  me  tell  you  my  news." 

Whereupon  all  of  them  halted  and  stood 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     97 

round  me,  listening  eagerly  while  I  unfolded 
my  story  and  gave  them  the  intelligence 
that  the  galleons  had  gone  into  Vigo,  es- 
corted, as  the  earl  had  said  while  we  rode 
toward  Rotterdam,  by  a  large  French  fleet. 

"  'Fore  George,  Harry,"  said  Mr.  Beau- 
voir,  turning  toward  the  elder  of  the  offi- 
cers with  him,  a  captain  in  Pierce's  regi- 
ment, "but  this  is  mighty  fine  news.  Only 
— can  it  be  true?  I  mean,"  he  went  on  with 
a  pleasant  bow  to  me,  "can  it  be  possible 
that  the  Earl  of  Marlborough  is  not  mis- 
taken? For,  if  'tis  true  and  we  can  only 
communicate  with  Sir  George  Rooke  and  get 
him  back  again,  't  will  be  a  fine  thing ;  wipe 
out  the  scandal  and  hubbub  that  will  arise 
over  our  retreat  from  Cadiz,  go  far  to  save 
Parliament  enquiries  and  the  Lord  knows 
what — to  say  nothing  of  court  martials. 
Humph?" 

"Why  should  the  earl  be  mistaken  in 
this?"  asked  one  of  the  others.  At  least  he 
was  right  in  judging  they  would  not  go  into 
Cadiz." 

"We  must  take  you  at  once  to  Captain 
Hardy,  of  our  ship,"  said  the  chaplain. 
"'Tis  for  him  to  decide  when  he  has  heard 
your  story.  Come,  let  us  get  back  to  the 
pinnace  —  no  time  must  be  wasted." 

"With    the  very  greatest  will    in    the 


98     ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

world,"  said  I.  "'T is  for  that  I  have  trav- 
elled from  Holland,  and,  pray  God,  I  have 
not  come  too  late.  Success  means  much 
for  me." 

Then  we  turned  to  go,  while  the  officers 
attacked  me  on  all  sides  for  an  account  of 
the  siege  of  Kaiserswerth,  of  which  they  had 
not  yet  heard  full  accounts,  and  we  were 
just  leaving  the  square  when  there  appeared 
at  the  door  of  the  French  consul's  house  a 
man  who,  no  sooner  did  he  observe  us  and 
our  English  appearance  —  which  betrays  us 
all  over  Europe,  I  have  noticed,  though  I 
know  not  why  —  and  also  the  brilliancy  of 
the  officers'  dress,  than  he  set  to  work  bow- 
ing and  grimacing  like  a  monkey  ;  also  he  be- 
gan calling  out  salutations  to  us  in  French, 
and  asking  us  how  the  English  did  now  in 
the  wars  ?  and  saying  that,  for  himself,  he 
very  much  regretted  that  France  and  Eng- 
land had  got  flying  at  one  another's  throats 
once  more,  since  if  they  were  not  fools  and 
would  only  keep  united,  as  they  had  been  in 
the  days  of  him  whom  he  called  le  grand  roi 
Charles  Deux,  they  might  rule  the  world 
between  them  ;  which  was  true  enough  as 
regarded  their  united  powers  (if  not  the 
greatness  of  that  late  king  of  ours),  as  many 
other  people  more  sensible  than  he  have 
thought. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     99 

"'Tis  a  merry  heart,"  said  Mr.  Beau- 
voir,  smiling  on  the  fantastic  creature  as  he 
gibbered  and  jumped  about  on  his  doorstep, 
while  the  others  looked  contemptuously  at 
him,  for  we  soldiers  had  but  a  poor  opin- 
ion of  the  French,  though  always  pleased 
to  fight  them;  "a  joyous  blade!  Let  us 
return  his  civility  "  ;  whereupon  he  took  off 
his  hat,  which  courtesy  we  all  imitated,  and 
wished  him  "  Good  day  "  politely  in  his  own 
language. 

"Ha!  you  speak  French,  monsieur," 
the  other  said  at  this  ;  "also  you  have  the 
bonne  mine.  English  gentlemens  is  always 
gentlemens.  Ha!  I  ver'  please  see  you." 
—  he  was  himself  now  speaking  half  Eng- 
lish and  half  French.  "Je  vous  salue.  La- 
gos ver'  triste.  I  always  glad  see  gentle- 
mens. Veuillez  un  verre  de  vin  ?  C^est 
Francais,  vrai  Francais  I  Ver '  goot. ' ' 

"'Tis  tempting,"  said  the  chaplain  of 
the  Pembroke,  his  face  appearing  to  get  more 
red  than  before  at  the  invitation.  "Well,  we 
can  do  no  harm  in  having  a  crack  with  him. 
Only — silence,  remember,"  and  he  glanced 
at  the  officers.  "  Not  a  word  of  our  doings 
— lately,  now,  or  to  come." 

"Never  fear,"  said  the  eldest.  "We 
can  play  a  better  game  than  that  would  be," 
whereon  the  chaplain,  after  bowing  grace- 


100  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

fully  to  our  would-be  host,  said  in  very  fair 
French  that,  if  he  desired  it,  we  would  all 
drink  a  glass  of  wine  with  him — only  he 
feared  we  were  too  many. 

"  Not  a  jot,  not  a  jot,"  this  strange  crea- 
ture cried,  beckoning  all  of  us  into  the  house 
and  forthwith  leading  us  into  a  whitewashed 
room,  in  the  middle  of  which  was  a  table 
with,  upon  it,  a  great  outre  of  wine,  bound 
and  supported  by  copper  bands  and  flanked 
with  a  number  of  glasses,  so  that  one  might 
have  thought  he  was  ever  offering  enter- 
tainment to  others.  Then,  with  great  dex- 
terity, he  filled  the  requisite  number  of 
glasses,  and,  after  making  us  each  touch 
his  with  ours,  drank  a  toast. 

"A  la  fin  de  la  guerre"  he  said,  after 
screaming,  first,  "Attention^  messieurs"  and 
rapping  on  the  table  with  his  glass  to  claim 
that  attention,  "4  Vamitti  incassable  de  la 
France  et  de  V Angleterre.  Vivent,  vivent, 
•vivent  la  France  et  T Angleterre"  &&&  down 
his  throat  went  all  the  wine. 

"A  noble  toast, "said  Mr.  Beauvoir, with 
a  gravity  which — I  know  not  why! — I  did 
not  think,  somehow,  was  his  natural  attri- 
bute, "a  noble  toast.  None — be  he  French 
or  English — could  refuse  to  pledge  that," 
and,  with  a  look  at  the  others,  away  went 
his  liquor,  too,  while  my  brother  officers, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  101 

with  a  queer  look  upon  their  faces,  which 
seemed  to  express  the  thought  that  they 
scarce  knew  whether  they  ought  to  be 
carousing  in  this  manner  with  the  repre- 
sentative of  an  enemy,  swallowed  theirs. 

"Ha!  goot,  ver'  goot,"  our  friend  went 
on,  "we  will  have  some  more."  And  in  a 
twinkling  he  had  replenished  the  glasses 
and  got  his  own  up  to,  or  very  near  to,  his 
lips.  And  catching  a  glance  of  Mr.  Beau- 
voir's  grey  eye  as  he  did  this,  I  felt  very 
sure  that  the  reverend  gentleman  knew  as 
well  as  I  did,  or  suspected  as  well  as  I  did, 
that  these  were  by  no  means  the  first  pota- 
tions our  friend  had  been  indulging  in  this 
morning. 

"Another  toast,"  he  cried  now,  "sacrt 
nom  d'un  chien !  we  will  drink  more  toasts. 
A  la  santd" — then  paused,  and  muttered: 
"  No,  no.  I  cannot  propose  that.  No.  Ce 
ri1  est  pas  juste." 

"What  is  not  just,  monsieur?"  asked 
Mr.  Beauvoir,  pausing  with  his  own  uplifted 
glass. 

"  Why,  figurez-vous,  I  was  going  to  com- 
mit an  impolitesse —  what  you  call  a  rudesse 
— rudeness — in  your  English  tongue.  To 
propose  the  continued  prosperity  of  France 
—  no!  vraiment  il  nefautpas  fa.  Because 
you  are  my  guests — I  love  the  English  gen- 


102  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tlemens  always — and  it  is  so  certain — so 
very  certain." 

"The  continued  success  of  France  is 
very  certain,  monsieur?"  said  one  of  the 
grenadiers,  looking-  darkly  at  him.  "  You 
say  that?" 

"  Sans  doute.  It  cannot  be  otherwise.  On 
sea  and  land  we  must  triumph  now  —  and 
then — then  we  shall  have  lapaix  incassable. 
Oh !  yes,  now  that  Chateaurenault  is  on  the 
seas,  we  must  perforce  win  there  —  win 
every — everything.  And  for  the  land,  why 


"Chateaurenault  is  on  the  seas!"  ex- 
claimed the  chaplain,  looking  very  grave. 
"And  how  long  has  that  been,  monsieur?" 

"Oh,  some  time,  some  time."  Then  he 
put  his  finger  to  his  nose  and  said,  looking 
extremely  cunning  in  his  half  drunkenness. 
"And  soon  now  he  will  be  free  to  scour 
them,  turn  his  attention  to  you  and  the 
Dutch  —  curse  the  Dutch  always,  they  are 
cochonsl  —  soon,  ver'  soon.  Just  as  soon  as 
the  galleons  are  unloaded  at  Vigo  —  when 
we  need  protect  them  no  more." 

Swift  as  lightning  all  our  eyes  met  as 
the  good-natured  sot  said  this  in  his  boast- 
fulness;  then  Mr.  Beauvoir,  speaking  calmly 
again,  said: 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   103 

"So  he  is  protecting-  them  at  Vigo,  eh? 
'  T  is  not  often  they  unload  there." 

"Ah)  non,  non.  Not  ver'  often.  But, 
you  see,  you  had  closed  Cadiz  against  them, 
so,  naturellement,  they  must  go  in  some- 
where." 

"Naturally.  No  —  not  another  drop  of 
wine,  I  thank  you." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ON  BOARD  H.  M.  S.  PEMBROKE. 

A  good  snoring  breeze  was  ripping  us 
along  parallel  with  the  Portuguese  coast  a 
fortnight  later,  every  rag  of  canvas  being 
stretched  aloft — foretop  gallant  royals, 
mizzentop  gallant  royals  and  royal  stay- 
sails. For  we  had  found  the  main  body  of 
the  fleet  at  last,  after  eleven  days'  search 
for  them,  and  we  were  on  the  road  to  Vigo. 

Only,  should  we  be  too  late  when  we  got 
there  ?  That  was  the  question ! 

Let  me  take  up  my  tale  where  I  left  off. 
Time  enough  to  record  our  hopes  and  fears 
when  that  is  told. 

Our  French  friend,  whose  boastfulness 
had  increased  with  every  drop  of  Montra- 
chet  he  swallowed  (and  'twas  real  good 
wine,  vastly  different,  the  chaplain,  who 
boasted  himself  a  fancier,  said  afterward, 
from  the  filthy  concoctions  to  be  obtained 
in  that  part  of  Portugal),  had  been  unable 
to  hold  his  tongue,  having  got  upon  the 
subject  of  the  greatness  of  his  beloved 
France,  and  the  consequence  was  that 

104 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   105 

every  word  he  let  fall  served  but  to  cor- 
roborate the  Earl  of  Marlborough's  infor- 
mation and  my  statement.  Nay!  by  the 
time  he  allowed  us  to  quit  his  house, 
which  was  not  for  half  an  hour  after  he 
had  first  divulged  the  neighborhood  of 
Chateaurenault  and  the  galleons,  and  dur- 
ing- which  period  he  drank  even  more  fast 
and  furious  than  before,  he  had  given  us 
still  further  information.  For,  indeed,  it 
seemed  that  once  this  poor  fool's  tongue 
was  unloosed,  there  were  no  bounds  to  his 
vaunts  and  glorifications,  and  had  it  not 
been  that  he  was  our  host  and,  also,  that 
every  word  he  said  was  of  the  greatest 
value  to  us,  I  do,  indeed,  believe  that  one 
or  other  of  the  officers  would  have  twisted 
his  neck  for  him,  so  exasperating  was  his 
bragging. 

"  Patmre  Angleterre!  Pauvre  Angle- 
terre!  "  he  called  out,  after  we  had  refused 
to  drink  any  more,  though  he  himself  still 
kept  on  unceasingly  ;  "  Poor  England.  Ah, 
mon  Dieu,  what  shall  become  of  her ! 
Beaten  at  Cadiz " 

"  Retired  from  Cadiz,  if  you  please,  mon- 
sieur," one  of  Pierce's  officers  said  sternly, 
"because  the  Dutch  ships  had  run  out  of 
provisions,  and  because,  also,  the  admiral 
and  his  Grace  could  not  hope  to  win  Spain 


106  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

to  the  cause  of  Austria  by  bombarding 
their  towns  and  invading  their  country. 
Remember  that,  sir,  if  you  please." 

"  Oh,  la  la  I  Oest  la  meme  chose.  It  mat- 
ters not."  Then  the  talkative  idiot  went  on: 
"I  hope  only  that  the  fleet  is  safe  in  Eng- 
land by  now.  Ver'  safe,  because  other- 
wise  " 

"Have  no  fear,  sir,"  the  officer  said 
again,  though  at  a  sign  from  Mr.  Beauvoir, 
he  held  his  peace  and  allowed  the  French- 
man to  proceed. 

"  Ver'  safe,  because,  otherwise,  Chateau- 
renault  will  soon  catch  them  —  poof !  like  a 
mouse  in  grimalkin's  claws.  The  dlbargue- 
ment  must  be  over  by  now  —  oh  yes,  over 
by  now!  —  Vamiral  will  be  free  to  roam 
the  seas  with  his  great  fleet.  Tiens!  c'est 
enorme  I  There  is,  for  instance,  La  Sirene, 
LEsperance,  La  Superbe,  Le  Bourbon,  L'En- 
Jlame — all  terrible  vessels.  Also  many 
more.  Le  Solide,  Le  Fort,  Le  Promote  — 
Fichtre!  I  cannot  recall  their  names  —  they 
are  fifteen  in  all.  What  can  you  do  against 
that?" 

"  What  did  we  do  at  La  Hogue?  "  asked 
Mr.  Beauvoir  quietly. 

"Hal  La  Hogue  1  Voild — fautede  bas- 
sesse — faute  de " 

"Sir,"  said  the  chaplain,  interrupting, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   107 

"let  us  discourse  no  more  on  this  subject. 
If  we  do  we  shall  but  get  to  quarrelling-  — 
and  you  have  been  polite  and  hospitable. 
We  would  not  desire  that  to  happen.  Sir, 
we  are  obliged  to  you,"  and  he  held  out  his 
hand. 

The  strange  creature  took  it  —  he  took 
all  our  hands  and  shook  them;  he  even 
seemed  about  to  weep  a  little  at  our  de- 
parture, and  muttered  that  Lagos  was  "  ver' 
triste."  He  loved  to  see  any  one,  even 
though  a  misguided  enemy. 

"And,"  said  Mr.  Beauvoir,  as  we  made 
our  way  down  to  the  quay  where  the  pin- 
nace was  to  take  them  off,  "to  chatter  to 
them  as  well  as  see  them.  Forgive  him, 
Lord,  he  is  a  madman!  Yet,  I  think,"  turn- 
ing to  me,  "you  should  be  satisfied.  He 
corroborates  you,  and  he  has  told  us  some- 
thing worth  knowing.  Fifteen  ships  of  war 
in  all,  eh?  "  whereon  he  fell  a-musing.  "A 
great  fleet,  in  truth;  yet  ours  is  larger  and 
we  are  English.  That  counts." 

It  took  us  a  very  little  while  to  fetch  off 
to  the  Pembroke,  and  on  arriving  on  board, 
Mr.  Beauvoir  instantly  sent  to  know  if  he 
could  see  the  captain,  since  he  brought 
great  news  from  the  shore.  The  sentry 
would  not,  however,  by  any  means  under- 
take to  deliver  the  message,  since  Captain 


108  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Hardy  was  now  abed,  he  having  been  on  the 
poop  all  night  while  the  ships  were  coming- 
in;  whereupon  Mr.  Beauvoir,  saying-  that 
the  business  we  were  now  on  took  prece- 
dence of  sleep  and  rest,  pushed  his  way  into 
the  great  cabin  and  instantly  knocked  at 
the  door  outside  the  captain's  berth.  Also, 
he  called  to  him  to  say  that  he  had  news  of 
the  galleons  and  the  French  admiral's  fleet, 
and  that  there  waited  by  his  side  an  officer 
of  the  land  forces  charged  with  a  message 
to  him  from  the  Earl  of  Marlborough. 

"  What !  "  called  out  the  captain  as  we 
heard  him  slip  his  door  open,  after  hear- 
ing also  a  bound  as  he  leaped  from  his  bunk 
to  the  floor.  "  What !  "  and  a  minute  after 
he  stood  before  us,  a  fine,  brave-seeming 
gentleman,  without  his  coat  or  vest  on. 

"  What !  News  of  the  galleons  !  Are 
you  the  messenger,  sir?"  looking  at  me 
and  returning  my  salute.  "  Quick  !  Your 
news;  in  as  few  words  as  may  be." 

And  in  a  few  words  I  told  him  all  while 
he  stood  there  before  me,  the  chaplain  sup- 
plementing of  my  remarks  in  equally  few 
words  by  a  description  of  what  the  drunken 
French  consul  had  maundered  on  about  in 
his  boastings. 

And  the  actions  of  this  captain  showed 
me  at  once  that  I  was  before  one  of  those 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   109 

sea  commanders  who,  by  their  daring-  and 
decision,  had  done  so  much  to  make  our 
power  on  the  ocean  feared,  notwithstand- 
ing- any  checks  such  as  that  of  Cadiz, 
which  they  might  now  and  ag-ain  have  to 
submit  to. 

"Sentry !  "  he  called  out,  running  into  his 
cabin  to  strike  upon  a  gong  by  his  bedside 
at  the  same  time.  "Sentry  1 "  And  then, 
when  the  man  appeared,  went  on:  "Send 
the  yeoman  of  the  signals  to  me  at  once. 
Away  with  you." 

"Make  signal,"  he  said  to  the  lad,  who 
soon  came  tumbling-  down  the  companion 
ladder,  his  glass  under  his  arm,  "to  Cap- 
tain Wishart  in  the  Eagle,  and  all  the  cap- 
tains in  the  squadron,  to  repair  here  for 
consultation  without  loss  of  time.  Up  !  and 
waste  no  moment." 

And  sure  enough — for  in  Her  Majesty's 
navy  they  are  as  prompt  as  we  of  the  sis- 
ter service,  if  not  prompter,  since  to  a 
sailor,  minutes  are  sometimes  of  as  much 
importance  as  an  hour  on  land — ere  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  had  passed  the  waters  of 
the  harbour  were  dotted  with  the  barges 
of  the  other  captains  making-  for  our  ship, 
and,  five  minutes  after  that,  all  were  assem- 
bled in  the  great  cabin  listening  to  my  tale. 


110  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

And  all  were  at  once  agreed  on  what  must 
be  a-doing. 

"'Tis  of  vast  importance,"  said  Cap- 
tain Wishart,  who  I  think  was  the  senior, 
since  he  presided,  "that  the  admiral  be  ac- 
quainted with  this.  'T  is  for  him  to  decide 
what  shall  be  done  when  he  has  heard  the 
mission  on  which  this  officer  has  come,  and 
heard  also  the  words  of  the  Frenchman. 
Now,  who  has  the  fastest  sailer  ?  You,  I 
think,  Hardy." 

"True  enough,"  replied  that  captain, 
"  as  to  speed,  I  can  sail  two  feet  to  every  one 
of  all  the  rest.  Yet  the  head  of  the  ship  is 
somewhat  loose,  which  may  endanger  the 
masts ;  she  is  also  leaky,  and  our  food  is 
short.  Nevertheless,  since  the  intelligence 
has  been  by  good  luck  brought  to  my  hands 
I  am  loth  indeed  to  resign  the  honor  of 
finding-  Sir  George." 

"Nor  shall  you  resign  it,"  exclaimed 
the  other  captains.  "  The  chance  is  yours. 
Succeed  in  it  and  you  will  get  -your  flag1. 
Hardy,  you  must  take  it." 

Enough  that  I  say  he  took  it  —  had  he 
not  done  so  he  would  not  have  been  worth 
one  of  his  ship's  biscuits,  the  cases  of 
which  were,  as  it  happened,  now  running 
extremely  low.  Took  it,  too,  in  spite  of  the 
murmurings  of  some  of  his  men,  who  said 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   Ill 

that  they  had  signed  for  the  expedition 
to  Cadiz,  and  for  that  alone,  and,  there- 
fore, it  was  plainly  his  duty  to  return  to 
England.  But  Captain  Hardy  had  a  short 
way  with  such  as  these  —  a  way  well  enough 
known  to  sailors !  —  while  to  others,  with 
whom  he  thought  it  worth  while  to  explain 
at  all,  he  pointed  out  that  there  must  be 
in  the  galleons,  if  they  could  only  get  along- 
side of  them,  sufficient  prize  money  for  all. 
Off  we  went,  therefore,  to  find  the 
admiral  and  the  main  body  of  the  fleet, 
while,  as  luck  would  have  it,  there  blew 
from  off  the  Portuguese  coast  a  soft, 
brisk  wind  which  took  us  along  on  the 
course  we  desired,  namely,  that  in  which 
we  supposed  and  hoped  that  Sir  George 
Rooke  and  the  Dutch  fleet  had  gone.  All 
the  same,  it  was  no  very  pleasant  cruise ; 
the  food  ran  lower  and  lower  as  day  after 
day  passed  and  we  could  not  see  so  much 
as  a  topsail  anywhere,  until  at  last  we  came 
to  two  biscuits  a  day,  officers  and  men. 
Then,  to  make  matters  worse,  the  weather 
came  on  rough  and  boisterous,  so  that  the 
captain  said  for  sure  the  fleet  would  sep- 
arate ;  that  though  we  might  find  one 
or  two  of  the  number  '  t  was  scarce  likely 
we  should  find  more,  and  that  even  those 
which  we  might  by  chance  come  across 


112  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

would  possibly  not  have  the  Royal  Sov- 
ereign, which  was  Rooke's  ship,  amongst 
them. 

Briefly,  however,  we  did  find  them  af- 
ter eleven  days,  and  when  we  had  begun 
to  give  up  all  hope,  and  while  another  terri- 
ble fear  had  taken  possession  of  our  minds — 
the  fear  that  even  should  we  come  together 
and  proceed  to  Vigo,  we  might  find  the  gal- 
leons unloaded  and  their  treasure  removed 
inland.  However,  as  I  have  now  to  tell  — 
and,  indeed,  as  you  have  read  of  late  in  the 
published  accounts  of  our  attack  upon  those 
galleons  —  that  was  not  to  be. 

We  found,  therefore  —  to  hurry  on  —  the 
two  fleets  very  close  to  one  another,  and  no 
sooner  had  Sir  George  communicated  the 
news  to  the  Dutch  admiral,  Vandergoes, 
and  to  the  Duke  of  Ormond,  than  it  was  de- 
termined to  at  once  proceed  on  the  way  to 
Vigo  to  see  if  the  galleons  were  there,  and 
if  —  above  all  things  —  they  still  had  their 
goods  in  them ;  for,  though  't  was  like 
enough  that  we  should  destroy  them  if  we 
could,  and  crush  Chateaurenault  as  well, 
'twould  be  but  half  a  victory  if  we  could 
not  wrench  away  the  spoils  from  the  enemy 
and  profit  by  it  ourselves. 

And  now  off  went  two  frigates  to  scout 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Bay  of  Vigo  and 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   113 

see  how  much  truth  there  was  in  the  in- 
formation my  Lord  Marlborough  had  sent ; 
and  on  the  night  of  October  9,  to  which  we 
had  come  by  this  time,  they  returned  ;  re- 
turned with  the  joyful  intelligence  that  the 
treasure  ships  were  drawn  up  as  far  as  pos- 
sible in  a  narrow  strait  in  the  harbour  ;  that 
outside  and  guarding-  them,  were  some 
twenty  French  and  Spanish  ships  of  war, 
and  that  across  the  harbour  was  stretched 
a  huge  boom  of  masts  and  spars,  protected 
on  either  side  by  great  batteries  of  cannon. 

Also  they  brought  another  piece  of  good 
news :  The  galleons,  they  thought,  were 
still  unloaded. 

And  still  another  piece  of  intelligence, 
equally  welcome  :  The  frigates  had  sighted 
Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel's  fleet  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Cape  Finisterre,  had  communi- 
cated with  him,  and  brought  back  word 
that  as  we  drew  near  to  Vigo  he  would  com- 
bine with  us. 

That  night  we  kept  high  revels  on  board 
all  our  ships  —  those  only  whose  duty  it  was 
to  take  the  watches  being  prevented  from 
joining  in  the  delirium  of  joy.  Casks  were 
broached  and  healths  were  drunk,  suppers 
eaten  joyously  —  we  of  the  Pembroke  hav- 
ing now  all  we  could  desire  given  us  from 
our  consorts  —  songs  sung.  And,  if  there 


114  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

was  one  who  more  than  others  was  the  hero 
of  the  evening,  it  was  the  simple  gentleman 
who  had  brought  the  first  intimation  of  the 
whereabouts  of  those  whom  we  now  meant 
to  "burn,  plunder,  and  destroy,"  as  the 
old  naval  motto  runs ;  the  man  who  now 
pens  these  lines  —  myself. 

Perhaps  't  was  no  very  good  preparation 
for  a  great  fight  that,  on  the  night  before 
the  day  when  we  hoped  to  be  gripping 
French  and  Spaniards  by  the  throat,  blow- 
ing up,  burning  or  sinking  their  ships,  and 
seizing  their  treasures,  we  should  have  been 
wassailing  and  carousing  deeply  all  through 
that  night.  Yet,  remember,  we  were  sailors 
and  soldiers ;  we  were  bent  on  an  errand  of 
destruction  against  the  tyrant  who  had 
crushed  and  frighted  all  Europe  for  now 
nigh  sixty  years  ;  the  splendid  despot  who, 
but  a  few  months  ago,  had  acknowledged  as 
King  of  England  one  whom  every  English- 
man had  sworn  deeply  should  never  sit  on 
England's  throne,  nor  inherit  the  crown  of 
his  ancestors  —  if,  indeed,  the  Stuarts  were 
the  ancestors  of  the  youth  whom  the  late 
James  called  his  son. 

For  this  remembrance  we  may  be  for- 
given—  forgiven  for  hating  Louis  and  all 
his  brood  —  hating  him,  the  tyrant  of  Ver- 
sailles, and  the  fat  booby,  his  grandson, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  115 

who  aspired  to  grasp  the  throne  of  Spain 
by  the  help  of  Versailles  and  its  master, 
that  great,  evil  King-  of  France  ! 

Through  that  night,  I  say,  we  drank  and 
caroused,  called  toasts  to  our  good  queen, 
prayed  God  that  we  might  do  her  credit  on 
the  morrow,  and  exalt  the  name  of  great 
Anna?  And  even  the  watch,  coming-  off 
duty  in  turns,  ran  into  the  main  cabin  ere 
they  sought  their  berths,  seized  cans  and 
cannikins  brimming'  high,  and  drank  her 
health  and  that  of  our  own  dear  land. 

'T  was  a  great  night,  yet  it  came  to 
an  end  at  last,  and  the  autumn  morning- 
dawned,  thick,  hazy,  damp  —  still,  not  so 
thick  or  hazy  but  that  we  could  see  through 
it  the  mountains  over  and  around  Vigo 
looming  up,  and,  at  their  feet,  the  en- 
trance to  the  bay. 

Also,  we  saw,  away  to  the  northwest, 
the  fleet  of  Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel  coming 
up  toward  us,  escorted  and  led  by  our 
scouts. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  TAKING  OF  THE  GALLEONS. 

Looking  back  upon  that  great  day  —  it 
was  October  11  —  it  seems  to  me  that  many 
of  the  events  which  happened  must  have 
been  due  to  the  mercy  and  goodness  of 
God,  so  incredible  were  they. 

For  see  now  what  fell  out  at  the  very 
first,  namely,  that  the  haze  and  mist  were 
so  thick  that  we  were  enabled  to  anchor  at 
the  mouth  of  the  great  river  and  harbour 
without  so  much  as  even  our  presence  be- 
ing known,  so  that  when  the  sun  set  and 
the  fog  lifted,  the  surprise  of  those  snared 
and  trapped  creatures  was  great,  and  they 
at  once  began  firing  wildly  upon  us,  with- 
out, however,  doing  any  harm  whatever. 
But  the  lifting  of  that  fog  showed  us  what 
we  had  to  encounter,  the  work  that  was  to 
be  done. 

For,  first,  it  enabled  us  to  see  that, 
across  the  river,  or  narrow  strait,  as  in- 
deed it  was,  the  French  admiral  had  laid 
a  tremendous  boom,  made  up  of  cables, 
yards  and  masts,  topchains  and  casts,  some 

116 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  117 

nine  feet  in  circumference,  while  the  whole 
was  kept  fixed  and  steady  by  anchors  at 
either  side.  This,  too,  we  perceived,  was 
constructed  between  two  forts  known  as 
the  Ronde  and  the  Noot,  one  on  the  left 
bank  and  the  other  on  the  right,  while  far 
up  the  harbour,  where  we  saw  the  gal- 
leons all  a-lying  tucked  in  comfortably  un- 
der the  cliffs,  with  a  line  of  French  ships  of 
battle,  and  some  Spanish  ones,  ahead  of 
and  guarding-  them,  we  perceived  a  great 
fort,  which  is  known  as  the  Fort  of  Redon- 
della. 

And  now  the  night  came  down  upon  us, 
and  we  knew  that  for  this  day  there  would 
be  no  fighting,  though,  since  all  through  it 
the  admiral  went  from  ship  to  ship  in  his 
barge,  giving  orders,  't  was  very  certain 
that  at  daybreak  it  would  begin. 

And  so  it  did,  as  now  I  have  to  describe. 

For  on  the  morrow,  and  when,  as  near 
six  o'clock  as  may  be,  the  sun  came  up 
swiftly  over  the  great  hills,  or  mountains, 
which  abound  here,  we  made  our  first  prep, 
arations  for  the  attack  by  the  landing  of 
the  Duke  of  Ormond  with  two  thousand 
five  hundred  and  fifty  men  on  the  side  of 
the  Fort  Redondella,  they  marching  at  once 
toward  it  on  foot. 

As  for  myself,  although  a  soldier,  it  had 


118  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

been  decided  that  I  should  remain  in  the 
Pembroke,  and  this  for  more  than  one  rea- 
son. 

"You  have,"  said  Captain  Hardy  to  me, 
"no  uniform  with  you;  therefore,  if  you 
fall  into  the  hands  of  those  on  shore  it  may 
go  hard  with  you.  Yet  here  you  can  be  of 
service;  help  train  a  gun,  if  need  be,  issue 
orders,  take  part  in  the  boarding,  which 
must  surely  occur,  perhaps  take  part  in 
sacking  of  the  galleons.  There 's  business 
for  you  —  such,  indeed  as,  as  a  soldier,  you 
are  not  very  like  to  ever  see  again.  My 
lad ! "  he  went  on — and  in  truth  I  was  a  lad  to 
him,  though  I  esteemed  myself  a  very  full- 
fledged  man — "  you  are  to  be  congratulated. 
You  will  have  much  to  talk  about  in  years 
to  come — if  you  survive  this  day — which 
falls  not  often  to  a  landsman's  lot,"  and  he 
ran  away  as  gay  as  a  lad  himself,  all  grizzled 
with  service  though  he  was,  to  prepare  for 
assisting  in  breaking  the  boom. 

So  I  stayed  in  the  Pembroke  and,  as  you 
shall  see,  if  you  do  but  read,  the  doing  so 
led  to  all  that  happened  to  me  which  I  have 
now  to  set  down,  and  all  of  which — had  it 
not  so  happened — would  have  prevented 
this  narrative  from  ever  being  penned,  since 
it  is  not  to  describe  only  the  siege  of  Vig-o 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   119 

and  the  taking-  of  the  Spanish  galleons  that 
I  am  a-writing  of  this  story. 

Therefore  I  proceed: 

Down  from  the  hills  already  the  smoke 
was  rolling-  fast,  obscuring-  the  beauteous 
morn  by  now;  white  smoke  from  the  can- 
non in  the  fort — through  which  there  leapt 
every  moment  great  spits  of  flame  from  the 
big  guns'  mouths! — dun-coloured  smoke 
from  the  grenades  carried  by  Lord  Shannon 
and  Colonel  Pierce's  grenadiers;  black, 
greasy  smoke  vomited  forth  from  the  fuzees. 
And  it  came  down  to  the  water  and  poured 
across  it  in  clouds,  enveloping  the  galleons 
in  its  wreaths  and  the  great  French  ships 
of  battle ;  clinging  around  our  own  topsails 
and  masts,  almost  obscuring  each  of  our 
vessels  from  the  other. 

Yet  not  so  much,  neither,  but  that  —  a 
breeze  having  sprung  up  after  a  calm  which 
had  enforced  us  to  drop  our  anchors  for  a 
while — we,  of  the  Pembroke,  could  see  glide 
by  us  a  great  ship,  with  her  men  on  yards 
and  masts  and  in  fighting  tops,  all  cheering 
lustily,  and  some  a-singing — a  vessel  that 
rushed  forward  as  a  tiger  rushes  to  its  prey. 
At  first  we  thought  it  was  the  Royal  Sove- 
reign— that  great,  noble  ship  which  trans- 
mits a  name  down  from  Bluff  Harry's  days 
— then  knew  we  were  mistaken.  It  was  the 


120  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Torbay,  Vice-Admiral  Hopson's  own,  in 
which  he  flew  his  flag1,  her  sails  all  clapt  on, 
her  cable  training-  at  her  side,  where  he  had 
cut  it,  so  as  to  lose  no  precious  time,  her 
course  direct  for  the  boom.  And  after  her 
went  ourselves,  as  hound  let  loose  from 
leash  follows  hound.  Captain  Hardy  had 
spoken  true — 't  was  a  day  not  to  be  missed ! 
We  heard  a  snapping-,  a  crashing-  — 
't  was  awful,  too,  to  hear  !  —  we  heard  roar 
upon  roar  from  hundreds  of  lusty  throats 
in  that  great  ship  —  we  knew  the  boom  was 
g-one  —  cut  throug-h  as  a  woodsman's  axe 
cuts  throug-h  a  sapling-.  Amidst  all  the 
enemy's  fire  —  fire  from  the  French  ships 
and  those  Spanish  forts  on  shore  —  we 
heard  it.  And  we,  too,  cheered  and 
shouted  —  sent  up  our  queen's  name  to 
the  smoke-obscured  heavens  above.  Some 
cried  the  old  watchword  of  past  days,  "  St. 
Georg-e  and  England  " ;  some  even  danced 
and  jumped  upon  the  decks  for  g-lee  — 
danced  and  jumped,  even  thoug-h  the  hail 
of  ball  was  scattering-  us  like  ninepins,  or 
a  hundred  pins  !  —  even  thoug-h  some  lay 
writhing  on  those  decks,  and  some  were 
lying-  there  headless,  armless,  leg-less ! 
What  mattered?  The  enemy  were  there 
behind  that  boom,  and  it  was  broken.  We 
were  amongst  them  now.  Let  those  die 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  121 

who  must ;  those  live  who  were  to  conquer. 

Between  the  Bourbon  and  L?  Esp6rance 
the  noble  Torbay  rushed  —  to  the  jaws  of 
death  she  went,  as  though  to  a  summer 
cruise  on  friendly  seas,  her  anchor  cables 
roared  through  her  hawse-holes  —  Hopson 
had  anchored  'twixt  those  two  great 
French  ships  !  He  was  there  ;  there  was 
to  be,  could  be,  no  retreat  now ;  't  was 
death  or  victory. 

At  first  it  seemed  as  though  it  could 
alone  be  the  first.  The  cannon  grinned 
like  teeth  through  tier  upon  tier  of  gun- 
boats in  the  Frenchman's  sides ;  the  balls 
crashed  into  the  Torbay ;  they  did  the 
same  with  us  and  Vandergoes'  ship,  now 
ranged  on  the  other  side  of  the  Bourbon — 
a  French  fireship  had  clapt  alongside  of 
her,  and  set  her  rigging  alight ;  her  fore- 
topmast  went  by  the  board  ;  her  sails  were 
all  aflame ;  her  foreyard  burnt  like  a  dry 
log ;  her  larboard  shrouds  burnt  at  the 
dead-eyes. 

Yet  still  she  fought  and  fought  —  vom- 
ited forth  her  own  flames  and  destruc- 
tion ;  still  from  the  throats  of  those  left 
alive  came  shouts  of  savage  exultation, 
for,  all  afire  as  she  was,  we  saw  that  she 
was  winning.  And  not  only  she,  but  all  of 
us.  We  had  sunk  one  Frenchman  our- 


122  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

selves.  Vandergoes  had  mastered  the 
Bourbon  —  she  was  done  for  !  The  Asso- 
ciation had  silenced  a  battery  ashore.  And 
now  a  greater  thing  than  all  happened  — 
Chateaurenault  saw  that  he  was  beaten, 
set  his  flagship,  Le  Fort,  on  fire,  and  fled 
to  the  shore,  calling  on  all  his  captains  to 
follow  him. 

Yet  still  one  awful  dread  remained  ! 
The  Torbay  was  burning  fiercely,  charred 
masts  and  yards  were  falling  to  the  deck — 
itself  aflame  —  blocks  burning  like  tarred 
wood  crashed  down,  too.  What  if  her  pow- 
der magazine  exploded  !  If  it  did,  all  in 
her  neighbourhood  would  be  destroyed, 
hurled  to  atoms,  as  she  herself  would  be. 

Almost  it  seemed  as  if  that  had  hap- 
pened now.  There  came  a  hideous  roar,  a 
belch  of  black,  suffocating  smoke;  it  set  all 
sneezing  and  coughing  as  though  a  sulphur 
mine  were  afire.  Yet  that  explosion,  that 
great  cloud  of  filthy  blackness,  those 
masses  of  burnt  and  charred  wood  hurled 
up  into  the  air  and  falling  with  a  crash  on 
every  deck  around,  amidst  shrieks  and 
howls  and  curses  terrible  to  hear,  though 
drowned  somewhat  by  the  booming  of  the 
cannon  all  about,  was  to  be  the  salvation  of 
the  Torbay,  of  ourselves,  and  of  the  Dutch- 
men. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  123 

For  it  was  the  fireship  itself  that  had 
exploded.  It  was,  in  truth,  a  merchantman 
laden  with  snuff,  which  had  been  hastily 
fitted  up  as  one  of  those  craft.  And  in  so 
doing1  the  density  of  the  fumes  which  it 
emitted,  and  its  falling-  debris  when  it  was 
burst  asunder,  helped  to  put  out  the  flames 
that  raged  in  the  Torbay  and  in  us. 

The  firing  began  to  cease  even  as  this 
happened;  the  enemy  began  to  recognise 
that 't  was  useless.  They  would  have  been 
blind  not  to  have  so  recognised.  On  shore 
't  was  easy  enough  to  perceive  that  the 
forts  of  Redondella,  Noot  and  Ronde,  with 
their  platforms,  had  been  captured  by  Or- 
mond  and  Captain  Bucknam,  of  the  Asso- 
ciation; on  the  water  the  Bourbon  was  ours. 
The  lilies  were  hauled  down,  in  their  place 
floated  the  banner  of  England;  the  fireship 
had  vanished  into  the  elements,  the  great 
boom  lay  in  pieces  on  the  water  like  some 
long1,  severed  snake.  Yet  might  one  have 
wept  to  gaze  upon  the  Torbay  —  the  queen 
and  victress  of  this  fight  —  and  upon  our- 
selves. 

There  she  lay  —  Hopson  by  now  in  the 
Monmouth,  to  which  he  had  been  forced  to 
transfer  his  flag1,  so  sad  a  ruin  was  she  — 
listing-  over  to  her  wounded  starboard  side, 
into  which  the  water  poured  in  volumes,  it 


124  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

becoming  tinged  as  it  mixed  with  the  blood 
in  her  scuppers;  her  yards  and  masts  were 
charred  sticks;  black  bits  of  sooty,  greasy 
matter^  which  had  once  been  her  white 
sails,  floated  down  slowly  to  the  waves  and 
fell  upon  and  dissolved  into  them.  Also 
her  shrouds  were  but  burnt  pieces  of  rope 
and  twine  now.  Upon  her  deck  there  were 
stretched  a  hundred  and  twenty  men,  dead 
or  dying.  And  with  the  Pembroke  it  was 
almost  as  bad.  We  were  shattered  and 
bruised,  our  foremast  gone,  our  own  sails 
shot  through  and  through,  and  hanging 
over  the  sides  like  winding  sheets,  our 
own  decks  charnel  houses.  Yet  we  had 
won  the  fight,  the  day  was  ours,  the  gal- 
leons our  booty. 

But  were  they  ?  That  was  the  question ! 

'  T  was  true,  they  were  all  as  we  had  first 
seen  them,  though  some,  we  noticed,  had 
been  run  ashore,  perhaps  to  give  them  a 
chance  of  hurriedly  landing  some  of  their 
cargo ;  but,  alas  !  we  noticed  now-that  they 
were  all  aflame,  were  burning  fiercely. 

And  we  knew  well  enough  what  this 
meant  —  meant  that  the  French  and  Span- 
iards had  set  them  on  fire  so  that  we  should 
benefit  nothing  through  their  falling  into 
our  hands.  And  all  of  us  saw  it  at  the  same 
time  —  Rooke  saw  it,  Hopson  saw  it  —  every 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   125 

man  on  board  our  English  decks  who  was 
still  alive  saw  and  understood. 

By  God's  mercy  the  breeze  was  still 
blowing-  into  the  strait.  Some  of  us  still  had 
some  sail  left  clinging-  to  our  bruised  and 
battered  yards ;  enough  to  take  us  far- 
ther in,  enough  to  enable  the  boarding  par- 
ties to  row  ashore,  to  reach  those  burning 
ships,  to  save  something,  surely  ! 

From  all  the  ships'  sides  as  we  ran  up 
as  far  as  we  could  toward  where  they  lay, 
came  now  the  hoarse  grating  of  the  ropes 
running  through  the  blocks  as  the  boats 
were  lowered.  Into  those  boats  leaped 
swarms  of  men,  their  cutlasses  ready,  their 
pistols  in  their  hands,  their  eyes  inflamed 
with  the  lust  of  plunder,  wild  oaths  and 
jokes,  curses  —  and,  sometimes,  prayers 
that  we  were  not  too  late  —  upon  their  lips. 

And  in  our  cutter  I  went,  too  —  ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  her  in  place  of 
the  lieutenant  who  should  have  taken  that 
command,  but  who  now  lay  dead  upon  the 
Pembroke^  deck,  a  dozen  balls  in  his  body. 

Jostling  one  another — for  there  were 
scores  of  boats  lowered  by  now,  and  all  mak- 
ing their  way,  under  either  sail  or  the  sea- 
men's brawny  arms,  to  where  those  burning 
galleons  lay  —  we  rushed  through  the  half 
mile  of  water  that  separated  us  from  them, 


126  ACRJOSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

all  eager  to  board  and  be  amongst  the  spoil. 
And  woe,  I  thought,  to  him  or  them  who, 
when  we  were  there,  should  strive  to  bar 
our  entrance!  Our  blood  was  up,  fevered 
by  the  carnage  of  the  earlier  hours  ;  woe  to 
them  who  endeavoured  to  prevent  our  final 
triumph!  Through  wreckage  of  all  kinds 
we  went,  spars,  yards  and  masts,  military 
tops  floating  like  tubs,  dead  men  face  up- 
ward, living  men  clinging  to  oars  and  over- 
turned boats  and  shrieking  to  be  saved, 
while  ever  still,  in  front  of  us,  the  galleons 
burned  and  blazed  —  one  blew  up  as  we 
neared  it,  another,  spouting  flames  from 
port  and  window  and  burning  to  the  water's 
edge,  sank  swiftly  and  in  a  moment  beneath 
the  water. 

But  at  last  we  were  up  to  them,  were 
beneath  their  bows,  could  see  their  great 
figureheads  and  read  their  names — most 
of  them  so  terribly  sacred  that  one  won- 
dered that  even  Spaniards  should  so  dare 
to  profane  those  holy  words  by  using  them 
for  their  ships ! 

And  now  some  orders  were  issued  by  a 
grey-haired  officer  to  those  close  by.  The 
boarding  parties  were  told  off  in  boats  of 
twos  and  threes  to  the  different  vessels 
flaming  before  our  eyes.  The  one  which  I 
commanded  was  directed  to  a  great  vessel 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  127 

of  three  decks,  having  above  her  upper  one 
a  huge  poop-royal,  and  named — heavens, 
what  a  name  for  a  ship  ! — La  Sacra  Fami- 
lia.  And  as  we  swept  toward  them  all  we 
saw  that  one  mercy  was  now  to  be  vouch- 
safed. There  would  be  no  further  slaugh- 
ter  here;  no  need  for  more  shedding-  of 
blood.  The  vessels  were  not  defended ; 
those  who  had  set  fire  to  them  had  un- 
doubtedly fled. 

Yet  up  on  the  poop-royal  of  that  galleon, 
to  which  we  now  clambered  by  aid  of  rope 
and  ladder — with  cutlass  in  mouth  and  pis- 
tol in  belt — as  well  as  by  chains  and  steps, 
we  saw  there  was  still  some  human  life 
left.  We  saw  a  tall  monk  standing  there, 
gazing  down  curiously  at  us,  his  shaven 
crown  glistening  in  the  autumn  sun.  Also, 
it  seemed  as  though  he  smiled  a  welcome 
to  us,  was  glad  to  see  us ;  perhaps  regarded 
us  as  men  who  might  save  him  from  that 
burning  mass. 

We  rushed  on  board,  and  first,  before 
all  other  things,  except  a  salutation  which 
I  made  to  the  monk  by  a  touch  of  the  finger 
to  my  hat,  I  directed  those  under  my  com- 
mand to  endeavour  to  stifle  the  fire,  which 
seemed  at  present  to  be  entirely  confined 
to  the  after  part  of  the  ship.  "  For,"  said 
I  to  those  of  my  own  following,  and  also  to 


128  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

those  who  had  come  in  the  other  boats 
under  the  command  of  two  bo'suns,  "if 
this  is  not  done  there  will  be  no  getting-  at 
the  goods  whatever.  Where  generally  is 
the  storage  made?"  I  asked,  turning  to  one 
of  these  officers. 

"Faith,  sir,  I  know  not,"  he  said,  with 
a  harsh  laugh.  "  My  account  has  been 
ever  with  the  king's — and  now  the  queen's 
— ships.  We  sailors  know  little  of  such 
things  as  stored  treasure.  Yet,"  and  he 
again  laughed,  "we  have  our  opportunity 
now.  If  we  can  but  quench  this  fire,  we 
may  learn  something." 

"Perhaps,"  said  a  voice  behind  me,  mu- 
sical and  deep,  and  greatly  to  my  astonish- 
ment—  when  I  turned  round  and  saw  who 
its  owner  was,  namely,  the  monk — speaking 
in  very  good  English,  "I  may  be  of  some 
service  here.  I  have  been  a  passenger  in 
her  since  she  loaded  at  Guayaquil,"  and  his 
eyes  met  mine  boldly. 

They  were  large,  roving  eyes,  too,  jet- 
black  and  piercing,  and  looked  out  from  a 
dark,  handsome  face.  A  face  as  close-shaven 
as  the  crown,  yet  with  the  blue  tinge  all 
over  upper  lip  and  chin  and  cheeks  which 
showed  where  there  grew  a  mass  of  hair 
beneath. 

"lam  obliged  to  you,  sir,"  I  answered, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     129 

touching-  my  hat  again  —  for  his  manner 
proclaimed  that  this  was  no  common  peas- 
ant who  had  become  a  monk  because  the  life 
was  easier  than  that  of  a  hedger  and  ditcher; 
but,  instead,  a  man  who  knew  something-  of 
the  world  and  its  courtesies.  Then,  he  hav- 
ing- told  me  that  all  the  plate  and  coin  was 
in  the  middle  of  the  ship,  and  the  merchan- 
dise, such  as  skins  and  leather,  Campeachy 
wood,  quinquina,  silks,  indig-o  and  cochineal 
in  the  after  part,  I  sent  off  all  the  men  to 
endeavour  at  once  to  extinguish  the  flames 
below;  to  cut  off  communication  between 
the  atmosphere  and  that  part  of  the  ship 
which  was  already  in  flames;  to  close  all 
hatches  and  bulkhead  doors;  to  stop  up  the 
crevices  by  which  the  air  could  pass  to  the 
burning-  part,  and,  if  possible,  to  separate 
the  one  half  of  the  vessel  from  the  other, 
as  well  as  to  pour  down  water  on  the  flames. 

And,  half  an  hour  later  —  while  still  I 
stood  g-azing-  down  on  the  men  at  their  work, 
and  still  by  my  side  stood  the  monk,  utter- 
ing- no  word,  but  regarding-  with  interest 
all  that  was  doing  —  one  of  the  bo'suns 
called  up  to  me,  saying: 

"  We  have  scotched  it  now,  sir.  There 
is  no  more  fire  left." 


CHAPTER  X. 

«r> 

SENOR   JUAN   BELMONTE. 

And  now  I  made  my  way  below  by  the 
main  hatch  —  for  the  after-companion  was 
all  burnt,  so  that  there  was  no  descent  by 
that,  I  being  intent  on  the  men  finding-  out 
—  and  setting  to  work  at  once  on  getting  at 
and  landing  —  the  specie  there  might  be  in 
the  ship ;  for,  although  the  galleons  were 
ours  now,  and  't  was  a  certainty  that  neither 
French  nor  Spaniards  could  make  any  at- 
tempt whatsoever  to  recover  possession  of 
them,  there  was  another  matter  to  be 
thought  about,  namely,  that  this  one,  of 
which  I  was,  so  to  speak,  in  chief  com- 
mand, might  be  so  badly  injured  that  she 
might  sink  at  any  moment ;  and,  if  she  did 
that,  then  it  would  be  goodbye  to  any  bars 
of  silver  and  gold,  pistoles  or  crusadoes 
which  she  might  have  stowed  away  in  her, 
ready  for  the  Castile  mint.  And  with  this 
apprehension  in  my  mind,  I  decided  that 
the  unloading  must  at  once  begin. 

But  as  I  came  down  the  main  companion 
it  was  apparent  that  I  must  make  my  way 

130 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  131 

aft  throug-h  the  great  cabin,  since  my  men 
were  all  at  work  in  the  hinder  part  of  the 
ship ;  and,  consequently,  I  put  my  hand  to* 
the  cabin  door  to  open  it,  when  I  discovered' 
that  it  was  closed  —  shut  fast.  Yet,  even 
as  I  perceived  this,  while  still  I  moved  the 
catch  about  between  my  fingers,  wondering 
what  I  should  do,  and  whether  I  must  not 
go  back  and  fetch  some  of  the  sailors  up 
from  the  after  part  to  burst  open  the  door, 
I  heard  a  footstep,  light,  yet  firm,  tapping 
on  the  cabin  deck  ;  a  footstep  that,  I  could 
very  well  perceive,  was  coming  toward  the 
closed  door ;  and  then,  a  moment  later,  I 
heard  a  voice  on  the  other  side  say  some- 
thing in  Spanish,  of  which  I  could  not  catch 
one  word ;  yet  I  doubted  not  that  a  ques- 
tion had  been  asked  as  to  who  I  was,  and 
what  I  wanted. 

Remembering,  however,  that  I  stood 
here  in  the  position  of  a  captor,  remember- 
ing, too,  that  since  all  these  Spanish  gal- 
leons had  been  under  the  protection  of  the 
French  admiral  (with  also  three  Spanish 
ships  of  war,  though  't  is  true  they  did  not 
count  for  much),  I  replied  in  the  French 
language,  which,  as  I  have  before  said,  I  had 
very  well: 

"I  am  an  officer  from  the  English  fleet, 


132  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  am  now  in  charge  of  this  vessel.  Open 
the  door  without  delay." 

"Are  you  an  English  officer  ?  "  the  voice 
now  said,  in  my  own  tongue,  to  which  I  — 
thinking  that  the  tones  were  soft,  gracious 
ones  enough  —  replied  : 

"I  am  an  English  officer.  Open  the 
door  at  once." 

Then  I  heard  the  bolt  shot  back,  and  en- 
tered the  great  cabin. 

What  kind  of  personage  I  had  expected 
to  find  behind  that  door  I  scarcely  now  can 
say  —  though  I  do  remember  well  enough 
that,  judging  by  the  gentle,  musical  voice 
which  had  replied  to  my  summons,  I  should 
not  have  been  over-surprised  to  find  myself 
face  to  face  with  some  Spanish  woman  — 
yet  the  person  who  appeared  before  me 
raised  my  curiosity  when  we  now  stood 
face  to  face,  for,  certainly,  I  had  expected 
some  one  vastly  different  from  him  on 
whom  I  now  gazed  —  perhaps  a  Spanish 
sailor ;  a  woman,  as  I  have  mentioned, 
or  some  old  don  who  had  managed  to  get 
left  behind  when  all  the  rest  had  fled. 

Yet  I  saw  none  of  these. 

Instead,  a  youth,  somewhat  tall  —  I  re- 
member that  his  eyes  were  almost  on  a 
level  with  mine,  and  I  am  tall  myself  —  also 
extremely  handsome,  while,  to  add  to  that 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  133 

handsomeness,  his  dress  was  rich,  if  not 
costly.  But  first  for  his  appearance. 

Those  eyes  were  soft,  dark  ones,  such 
as,  I  think,  our  poets  call  "liquid,"  and 
they  looked  out  at  me  from  an  oval  face, 
dark  and  olive  in  complexion,  over  which 
the  black  hair  curled  in  mighty  becoming- 
waves,  though  it  was  not  all  visible,  since 
on  his  head  he  wore  a  beaver  cap,  looped  up 
at  one  side  with  a  steel  buckle,  and  with,  in 
it,  a  deep  crimson  feather —  a  hat  that  added 
extremely  to  his  boyish  beauty.  For  that 
he  was  a  boy  of  almost  tender  years  was 
certain.  Upon  his  upper  lip  there  was  that 
soft  down  which  is  not  a  moustache,  but 
tells  only  where  some  day  a  moustache 
will  be ;  his  colouring,  too  —  a  deep,  rich 
red  beneath  the  olive  skin  —  proclaimed 
extreme  youthf  ulness.  But,  what  was  even 
more  agreeable  than  all,  was  the  bright, 
buoyant  smile  with  which  he  looked  at  me 
—  a  smile  which  flashed  from  those  dark, 
soft  eyes  and  trembled  on  the  full,  red  lips, 
yet  seemed  strangely  out  of  place  here  in 
this  captured  vessel,  and  upon  the  face  of  a 
prisoner  —  for  such,  indeed,  he  was. 

But  now  —  even  as  we  were  saluting  of 
each  other,  and  while  I  noticed  the  easy 
grace  with  which  this  youth  took  off  his 
beaver  hat  —  I  noticed  also  the  handsome 


134  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

satin  coat  he  wore,  the  embroidered,  open- 
worked  linen  collar,  and  the  pretty  lace 
at  his  sleeves ;  perceived,  also,  that  his 
breeches  were  lined  with  camlet  and  faced 
with  white  taffeta.  I  spoke  to  him,  saying- : 

"Sir,  I  am  afraid  this  is  but  a  rough 
visit  which  I  pay.  Yet,  since  I  find  you 
aboard  this  galleon,  you  must  know  what 
brings  me  here  ;  must  know  that  it  and  all 
her  consorts  have  fallen  into  our  power  — 
the  power  of  England  and  Holland." 

"  In  faith,  I  know  it  very  well, "  the  young1 
man  answered.  "  Heavens,  what  a  cannon- 
ading- you  kept  up  !  Yet  —  though  perhaps 
you  may  deem  me  heartless  if  I  say  so !  — 
I  cannot  aver  that  I  am  desperate  sick  at 
the  knowledg-e  that  you  have  drubbed 
France  and  Spain  this  morning-.  Cardmba! 
I  am  not  too  much  in  love  with  either, 
thoug-h  you  find  me  a  passenger  here." 

"  Monsieur  is  not  then  either  French  or 
Spanish  ?  "  I  hazarded,  while  he  unstrapped 
his  blade  from  its  porte  ep£e  and  flung  it  on 
the  cabin  locker  as  though  it  wearied  him. 
"Perhaps  English,  to  wit.  And  of  the 
West  Indies?  A  passenger  taking  this 
ship  as  a  means  whereby  to  reach  his  native 
land  ?  " 

He  looked  at  me  with  those  soft  dark 
eyes  —  I  know  not  even  now  why  they 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   135 

brought  up  the  thought  of  velvet  to  my 
mind  —  paused  a  moment  then  said : 

"Monsieur,  I  do  protest  you  are  a 
wizard,  a  conjuror,  a  geomancer.  In  truth 
you  have  hit  it.  I  am  English,  though  not 
by  birth  — but  subject  to  England." 

"I  should  scarce  have  thought,  indeed," 
I  ventured  to  say,  "that  monsieur  was  of 
English  blood." 

"  No  ?  "  with  a  slight  intonation.  "And 
why  not?  I  flatter  myself  that  I  have 
the  English  very  well." 

"  You  have  it  perfectly,"  I  replied,  mak- 
ing a  little  bow,  "but  scarce  the  English 
look.  Now  a  Spaniard  —  a  Frenchman  —  I 
would  have  ventured  to  say,  judging  by  your 
appearance,  to " 

Again  that  merry  laugh  rang  out,  and 
again  that  handsome  youth  told  me  I  must 
be  a  wizard.  "For,"  said  he,  "you  have 
pinked  me  in  the  very  spot.  My  mother 
was  a  Spaniard  —  my  father  a  Frenchman. 
And  we  have  lived  so  long  in  Jamaica  that  I 
speak  English  like  an  Englishman:  You 
see?" 

Then  almost  before  I  could  answer  that 
I  did  see  and  understand,  this  handsome 
youth  —  who  seemed  as  volatile  as  a  butter- 
fly !  —  began  to  sing  softly  to  himself : 


136  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"And  have  you  heard  of  a  Spanish  lady? 

How  she  wooed  an  Englishman  ? 
Garments  gay  and  rich  as  may  be, 
Decked  with  jewels,  had  she  on» " 

While  at  the  same  time  he  picked  up  an  in- 
strument which  I  learned  later  was  known 
as  a  viol  d'amore,  and  began  to  produce 
sweet  sounds  from  it. 

Now,  this  youth  won  so  much  upon  me, 
what  with  his  appearance — and  already  I 
found  myself  wondering-  what  the  ladies 
must  think  of  him ! —  and  his  light,  merry 
nature,  that,  had  other  things  been  differ- 
ent, I  could  very  well  have  passed  the  whole 
day  with  him  in  this  main  cabin,  only  there 
was  duty  to  be  done.  By  now  I  knew  that 
the  men  would  most  like  have  reached  the 
bullion  chests  and  be  ready  for  getting 
them  out ;  wherefore,  the  moment  he  ceased 
his  song,  I  said  as  courteously  as  may  be : 

"I  have  to  leave  you  now,  sir — there  is 
work  to  be  done  in  this  ship  by  nightfall. 
Yet,  since  you  say  you  are  a  British  sub- 
ject, we  must  take  some  care  of  you.  Will 
you  come  with  me  to  see  one  of  the  ad- 
mirals, who  will  dispose  of  you  as  best  may 
be  ?  If  you  seek  to  reach  England,  doubt- 
less they  can  put  you  in  the  way — give 
you  a  passage — or  what  do  you  propose 
doing?" 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  137 

For  answer  he  shrugged  his  shoulders 
indifferently,  theji  said : 

"England  is  my  destination — yet  there 
is  no  pressing  hurry.  I  am  on  my  road  to 
seek  some  friends  there,  but  I  mind  not  if  I 
tarry  a  little.  One  of  these  friends — oh !  a 
dear  old  creature,  a  Saint,  I  think — I  have 
been  bent  on  finding  for  some  years  now. 
And  I  shall  find  him.  Then — but  no  mat- 
ter !  A  few  more  weeks  in  comparison  with 
those  years  matter  but  little.  I  shall  find 
him.  Oh,  yes.  I  have  no  fear." 

I,  too,  shrugged  my  shoulders  now — 
for  this  was,  after  all,  no  answer  to  my 
question  ;  then  I  said : 

"But  how  will  you  proceed?  You  can 
scarce  stay  here — this  galleon  will  proba- 
bly be  sunk  by  the  admiral  directly  she  is 
unloaded.  What  will  you  do?  " 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  a  look 
of  extreme  indifference,  muttering  some- 
thing in  Spanish,  which  I  thought  might 
be  a  proverb;  then  said:  "Indeed,  sir,  I 
do  not  know.  But  this  admiral  of  yours, 
what  will  he  do  with  me — where  take  me 
if  I  go  with  you?  I  thought  to  ship  at 
one  time  from  Cadiz  to  England ;  then, 
later,  when  I  learned  we  were  coming  in 
here,  I  thought  to  travel  by  land  to  some 


138  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

near  port  and  find  a  vessel  for  the  same 
place.  Now  I  know  not  what  to  do." 

Neither  did  I  know  what  to  suggest  that 
he  should  do,  except  that  I  told  him  it  was 
very  certain  he  must  see  the  admiral,  who, 
without  any  doubt,  I  thought,  would  find 
him  an  opportunity  of  reaching  England — 
would  probably  take  him  with  the  fleet. 

"And, "I  went  on,  "this  should  be  of 
some  service  to  you,  in  the  way  of  money, 
at  least.  'T  will  be  a  good  thing  for  you 
to  be  put  on  English  ground  at  no  cost  to 
yourself.  Also,  you  may  have  goods  or 
specie  in  this  ship,  which  can  be  saved  for 
you.  And  then,  too,  you  will  be  near  those 
friends  you  speak  of — that  one,  especially, 
who  is  a  Saint — who  will  doubtless  help 
and  assist  you." 

Again  I  saw  the  bright,  luminous  smile 
come  upon  his  features,  as  he  answered : 

"Ay !  he  would  assist  me,  no  doubt.  Oh ! 
yes.  Mon  Dieul  Yes!  Beyond  all  doubt. 
And  he  will  be  so  glad  to  see  me.  We  have 
not  met  for  some  time.  But,  sir,  I  thank 
you  very  much  for  your  concern  about  me. 
Only,  as  far  as  money  goes,  I  am  not  needy. 
I  have  bills  about  me  now,  drawn  on  the  old 
Bank  of  Castile,  and  also  on  some  goldsmiths 
of  London,  as  well  as  some  gold  pieces  in 
my  pocket.  While  as  for  the  goods  or  specie 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  139 

you  speak  of — why,  never  fear!  Neither 
this  galleon  nor  any  other  has  a  pistole's 
worth  of  aught  that  belongs  to  me  on  board 
—  the  risk  was  too  great  with  the  seas 
swarming  with  English  ships  of  war.  No, 
sir,  beyond  the  box  which  contains  my 
necessaries,  I  stand  to  lose  nothing." 

"I  rejoice  to  hear  it,"  I  said,  "though 
doubtless,  since  you  are  a  British  subject, 
all  that  belonged  to  you  would  have  been 
sacred.  Yet,  even  as  'tis,  'tis  better  so." 
Then,  seeing  the  bo'sun  at  the  cabin  door, 
pulling  his  long  matted  hair  by  form  of 
salute,  and,  doubtless,  wondering  what  kept 
me  so  long  away  from  him  and  his  men,  I 
said:  "  Now  I  must  leave  you  for  a  time. 
Yet  it  will  not  be  long.  I  trust  you  have  all 
you  require  to  sustain  you  until  we  reach 
the  ship  I  am  attached  to." 

But  even  as  I  spoke,  and  without  listen- 
ing much  to  his  answer,  which  was  to  the 
effect  that  a  good  meal  had  been  eaten  that 
morning  before  the  battle  began,  and  that, 
if  necessary,  he  knew  very  well  where  to  lay 
his  hands  on  some  food,  a  thought  struck 
me  which  I  wondered  had  not  occurred  to 
me  before  during  my  interview  with  him. 
Therefore,  turning  to  him,  I  said : 

"  But  how  comes  it  that  I  find  you  here 
alone — or  all  alone  but  for  the  reverend 


140  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

monk  whom  I  saw  above?  How  is  it  that 
you  and  he  did  not  desert  the  ship  as  the 
others  must  have  done?" 

"Oh!  as  for  that,"  he  replied,  still  with 
that  sweet  smile  of  his,  and  still  with  that 
bright,  careless  air  which  he  had  worn  all 
through,  and  which  caused  him  to  appear 
superior  to  any  of  the  melancholy  as  well 
as  uncomfortable  circumstances  by  which 
he  was  surrounded,  "as  for  that,  the  ex- 
planation is  simple  enough."  Then,  speak- 
ing rapidly  now,  he  went  on : 

"We  saw  your  great  ships  break  the 
boom ;  ha !  por  Di6sy  't  was  grand,  splendid. 
We  saw  your  ships  range  themselves  along- 
side the  Frenchmen,  saw  them  crash  into 
them  their  balls,  set  them  afire,  destroy 
them.  EspUndido  I  EspUndido!  EspUn- 
dido!" he  exclaimed,  bursting  into  the 
Spanish  in  his  excitement.  "Poof!  away 
went  the  Bourbon,  topping  over  on  her  side, 
up  went  the  fireship — we  heard  your  shouts 
and  cries,  heard  the  great  English  seamen 
singing  their  songs.  I  tell  you  it  was  glori- 
ous. Magnifico!  Only — these  creatures 
here  —  the  canailles — these  desperdicios — 
these  —  Dibs!  I  know  not  the  word  in 
English — thought  not  so.  'Great  God!' 
screamed  Don  Trebuzia  de  Vera,  our  cap- 
tain—  a  miserable  pig,  a  coward,  'Great 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  141 

God,  they  win  again,  these  English  dogs; 
curse  them!  they  never  lose,  we  are  lost! 
lost!  lost!  And  see,'  he  bellowed,  'the 
French  admiral  lands,  he  flees,  deserts  his 
ship,  ha  I  sets  it  afire.  Flee  we,  too,  there- 
fore. Flee!  Away!  To  the  boats,  to  the 
shore,  to  the  mountains.  Away!  They 
come  nearer.  Away,  all,  or  there  will  not  be 
a  whole  throat  amongst  us.'  " 

"  We  knowed  that  was  what  would  hap- 
pen," chuckled  the  bo'sun,  who  still  stood 
at  the  open  door,  his  fierce  face  lit  up  with 
a  huge  grin  of  approval.  "  Go  on,  young 
sir.  Tell  us  the  tale." 

And,  scarce  heeding  him,  the  youth,  who 
had  recovered  his  breath,  went  on: 

"They  obeyed  him — they  fled.  Into  the 
water,  up  the  rocks,  off  inland  they  went. 
They  never  cast  a  thought  to  us,  to  Padre 
Jaime  and  myself,  the  only  two  passengers 
in  the  ship.  Not  they  —  they  cared  no  jot 
whether  we  were  blown  up,  or  shot,  or 
sunk,  no  more  than  they  thought  of  their 
ingots  in  the  hold.  Their  wretched  lives 
were  all  in  all  to  them  now." 

"Therefore  they  fled  and  left  you 
here ! " 

"  They  fled  and  left  us  here,  setting  fire 
first  to  the  ship,  and  caring  nothing  if  we 
were  burnt  in  it  or  not.  Though  that 


142  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

could  scarce  have  happened,  I  think,  since 
it  would  have  been  easy  enough  for  us  to 
plunge  into  the  water  and  get  ashore.  Also 
the  reverend  father  above  bade  me  take 
heart — though  I  needed  no  such  counsel, 
having  never  lost  mine —  averred  that  your 
side  had  won,  that  the  next  thing  would  be 
the  arrival  of  your  boats  to  secure  the 
plunder — which  has  fallen  out  as  he  said 
—  and  that  then  both  he  and  I  would  be  safe. 
Which  also  has  come  to  pass,"  he  concluded. 

"The  reverend  father  appears  to  be 
well  versed  in  the  arts  of  war,  captures  and 
so  forth,"  I  remarked,  as  now  we  made  our 
way  together  to  the  waist  of  the  ship,  fol- 
lowed by  the  bo'sun.  "A  strange  knowl- 
edge for  one  of  his  trade  !  " 

"  PorDidsI"  the  young  fellow  said,  "  't  is 
not  so  strange,  neither,  as  you  will  say  if 
ever  you  get  him  to  speak  about  the  strange 
places  in  which  he  has  pursued  his  minis- 
trations. Why,  sir,  he  has  assisted  at  the 
death  of  many  a  dying  sinner  of  the  kind 
we  have  in  our  parts,  held  cups  of  water  to 
their  burning  lips,  wiped  the  sweat  of  death 
from  off  their  brows.  Oh!  "  he  said,  stop- 
ping by  one  of  the  galleon's  great  quarter 
deck  ports,  in  which  the  cowards  who  fled 
from  the  heavily  armed  ship  had  left  a  huge 
loaded  brass  cannon  run  out,  which  they 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   143 

had  not  had  the  spirit  to  fire;  stopping 
there  and  laying  a  long,  slim  hand  upon  my 
arm  —  while  I  noticed  that  the  nails  were 
most  beautifully  shaped — "Oh!  he  has 
been  in  some  strange  places ;  seen  strange 
things,  the  siege  and  plunder  of  Mara- 
caibo,  to  wit,  and  many  other  places;  seen 
blood  run  like  water." 

"The  siege  and  plunder  of  Maracaibo!" 
I  found  myself  repeating  as  we  drew  near 
the  fore-hatches,  which  were  now  open. 
"The  siege  and  plunder  of  Maracaibo!" 
Where  had  I  heard  such  words  as  these  be- 
fore, or  words  like  them?  Where?  where? 
On  whose  lips  had  I  last  heard  the  name  of 
Maracaibo? 

And,  suddenly,  I  remembered  that  that 
wicked  old  ruffian,  who  had  been  fellow-pas- 
senger with  me  in  La  Mouche  Noire  had 
mentioned  that  place  to  the  filthy  black  who 
was  his  servant  —  or  his  friend. 

And  —  for  what  reason  I  know  not,  for 
there  was  no  sequence  whatsoever  in  such 
thoughts  and  recollections  —  I  recalled  his 
drunken  and  frenzied  shouts  to  some  man 
whom  he  called  Grandmont;  his  questions 
about  some  youth  nineteen  years  old,  who 
was  like  to  be  by  now  grown  up  to  be  a 
devil  like  that  dead  Grandmont  to  whom  he 
imagined  he  was  speaking. 


144  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Which  was,  if  you  come  to  think  of  it,  a 
strange  sort  of  recollection,  or  memory,  to 
be  evoked  simply  through  my  hearing  again 
the  name  of  that  tropic  town  of  Maracaibo 
mentioned  by  this  handsome  young  man. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

FATHER  JAIME. 

Under  the  direction  of  the  second  bo'- 
sun,  the  men  who  had  all  come  into  the 
ship  with  me  had  now  gotten  the  battens 
off  and  had  lifted  the  hatch  hoods  —  for 
although  it  has  taken  some  time  to  write 
down  my  meeting-  and  interview  with  this 
young-  gentleman,  it  had  not,  in  very  fact, 
occupied  more  than  twenty  minutes  —  and 
I  found  them  already  beginning-  to  bring  up 
some  large  chests  and  boxes  with  strange 
marks  upon  them. 

Also,  I  found  standing  close  by  the  open- 
ing the  monk  whom  the  young  man  had 
called  Father  Jaime,  he  being  engaged  in 
peering  down  into  the  hold  with  what 
seemed  to  me  a  great  air  of  interest,  which 
was  not,  perhaps,  very  strange,  seeing  that 
the  treasure  below  was  now  destined  for  a 
far  different  purpose  from  that  for  which  it 
was  originally  intended. 

He  turned  away,  however,  from  this  oc- 
cupation on  seeing  us  approach,  and  said 
quietly,  in  the  rich,  full  voice  which  I  had 

145 


146  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

previously  noticed,  to  the  young-  man  by 
my  side : 

"  So,  Senor  Juan,  you  have  found  a  friend, 
I  see.  You  are  fortunate.  This  way  you 
may  light  on  your  road  to  England." 

"And  you,  sir,  what  is  your  destination, 
may  I  ask?"  I  said,  for  I  knew  I  should 
soon  have  to  decide  what  to  do  with  him. 
The  grey-haired  officer  had  given  me, 
among  other  hurried  instructions,  one  to  the 
effect  that  anything  which  was  brought  up 
from  below  was  to  be  instantly  sent  off  to 
Sir  George  Rooke's  flagship;  and  'twas 
very  easy  to  see  that  there  was  none  too 
much  specie  in  this  ship  — while  I  knew  not 
what  was  to  be  done  with  the  merchandise. 
Therefore,  the  time  was  now  near  at  hand 
for  me  to  return  and  report  myself,  taking 
with  me  my  findings,  while,  also,  I  should 
have  to  take  with  me  these  two  whom  I  had 
discovered  left  behind  on  board. 

Father  Jaime  bowed  graciously  on  my 
asking  this  question  —  indeed,  he  was  a  far 
more  courteous  and  well  bred  man  than  I, 
perhaps  in  my  ignorance,  had  ever  supposed 
would  have  been  found  amongst  his  class 
—  and  replied:  "I,  sir,  have  to  present  my- 
self at  Lugo,  where  there  is  a  monastery  to 
which  I  am  accredited."  Then,  with  an 
agreeable  smile,  he  continued  : 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   147 

"I  trust  I  shall  not  be  detained.  Al- 
ready I  am  two  years  behind  my  time  —  as 
is  our  young  friend  here,  Senor  Juan  Bel- 
monte,  and " 

"  Two  years ! "  I  exclaimed. 

"In  truth,  'tis  so,"  my  young-  gentle- 
man, whose  name  I  now  learned,  replied. 
"  Two  years.  These  galleons  should  have 
sailed  from  Hispaniola  that  length  of  time 
ago,  only  so  many  things  have  happened. 
First  there  was  the  getting  them  properly 
laden,  then  the  fear  of  filibusters  and  buc- 
caneers  " 

"  That  fear  exists  no  longer,  my  son," 
the  monk  interrupted.  "They  are  dis- 
banded, broken  up,  gone,  dispersed.  There 
will  be  no  more  buccaneering  now,  the 
saints  be  praised." 

He  said:  "the  saints  be  praised";  yet  had 
he  not  worn  the  holy  garb  he  did,  I  should 
have  almost  thought  that  he  said  it  with  re- 
gret. Indeed,  were  it  not  for  his  shaven 
crown  and  face,  he  would  not  have  ill-be- 
fitted the  general  idea  I  had  formed  of  those 
gentry — what  with  his  stalwart  form,  bold, 
fierce  eyes  and  sun-browned  visage. 

"Ay,  the  saints  be  praised  !  "  the  young 
senor  repeated  after  him,  "the  saints  be 
praised.  They  were  the  curse  of  the  Indies 
—  lam  old  enough  to  remember  that.  Yet, 


148  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

now,  all  are  gone,  as  you  say,  dispersed  — 
broken  up.  Pointis  has  done  that,  and 
death  and  disease.  Still,  where  are  they? 
— those  who  are  alive — I  wonder." 

"There  are  few  alive  now,"  the  monk 
replied,  "and  those  of  no  worth.  Recall, 
my  son,  recall  what  we  know  happened  in 
the  Indies.  Kidd  is  taken,  Grogniet  dead, 
Le  Picard  executed.  Townley  —  a  great 
man  that !  —  I  —  I  mean,  a  great  villain  — 
fell  with  forty  wounds  in  his  body;  at 
Guayaquil  nine  brave  —  nine  vagabonds  — 
left  dead ;  and  more,  many  more." 

"And  the  villain  Gramont" — and  now 
I  started ;  was  this  whom  he  called  Gra- 
mont the  man  that  old  vagabond  Carstairs 
had  spoken  of  —  as  I  supposed  —  as  Grand- 
mont? —  "  forget  not  the  greatest  of  them 
all,  holy  father.  What  of  him  ?  " 

"He  died  at  sea.  Drowned,"  Father 
Jaime  replied.  Then  added:  "He  was 
the  boldest  of  them  all." 

"'T  was  never  known  for  certain  that 
he  was  so  drowned,"  Belmonte  said. 

" '  T  was  known  for  certain ;  is  certain. 
I  have  spoken  with  those  who  saw  his  ship's 
boats  floating  near  where  he  must  have 
been  cast  away  and  lost.  Fool  that  he  was! 
Madman!  Louis  the  King  gave  him  his 
commission,  made  him  Lieutenant  du  Roi. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  149 

Then,  because  the  devil's  fever  was  hot  in 
his  blood,  he  must  make  one  more  of  his  ac- 
cursed cruises,  and  go  filibustering  thus, 
besieging  towns,  plundering  and  destroy- 
ing once  more.  The  fool !  to  do  it  'neath 
the  King's  lilies  — to  ruin  himself  forever, 
when  he  was  rich,  rich  —  ah,  heavens  !  how 
rich  he  was  !  '  Tis  well  for  him  that  he  was 
drowned  —  disappeared  forever.  Other- 
wise the  wheel  would  have  been  his  portion. 
And,"  he  added  after  a  pause,  "righteously 
so.  Righteously  so!" 

Stopping  as  he  said  those  words,  he  saw 
that  we  were  regarding  him  with  interest 
—  for,  indeed,  had  this  drowned  buccaneer 
been  a  friend  of  his  he  could  scarcely  have 
spoken  with  more  fervency  —  then  added, 
impressively : 

"  My  sons,  I  knew  that  man  —  that  Gra- 
mont;  and  I  —  I  pitied  him.  Knowing  his 
fate,  and  much  of  his  life,  I  pity  him  still." 

Then  he  turned  away  and  began  telling 
of  his  beads  as  he  strode  up  and  down  the 
deck.  And  I,  remembering  all  I  had  over- 
heard the  man  Carstairs  say,  determined 
that,  if  the  chance  arose,  I  would  ask  the 
reverend  father  if  he  had  known  this  Car- 
stairs,  too;  for  I  had  sufficient  curiosity 
in  my  composition  to  desire  to  learn  some- 
thing more  about  that  hoary -headed  old 


150  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

vagabond,  though  'twas  not  at  all  likely 
that  I  should  ever  set  eyes  on  him  again. 

That  chance  was  not  now,  however, 
since  at  this  moment  there  came  along- 
side the  whole  flotilla  of  boats,  which  had 
been  despatched  severally  to  the  various 
galleons,  they  being  at  this  time  all  col- 
lected together  ere  going  back  to  the  ad- 
miral, and  needing  only  us  to  make  them 
complete.  Wherefore,  giving  orders  to 
have  all  the  chests  and  boxes  which  we 
had  unearthed  placed  in  our  own  boats,  we 
stepped  over  the  side,  I  motioning  to  the 
father  and  the  senor  to  take  their  places 
by  me. 

"Your  necessaries,"  I  said,  "can  be 
fetched  away  later,  when  't  is  decided  how 
your  respective  journeys  are  to  be  brought 
to  an  end." 

And  now,  ere  I  get  on  with  what  I  have 
to  tell,  it  is  fitting  that  —  to  make  an  end 
of  this  siege  of  Vigo,  which,  indeed,  rein- 
stated later,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Parlia- 
ment and  their  countrymen,  all  those  who 
had  failed  at  Cadiz  —  I  set  down  what  was 
the  advantage  to  England  of  this  taking  of 
the  galleons,  though,  in  truth,  that  advan- 
tage was  far  more  in  the  crushing  blow 
it  administered  to  the  French  sea  service 
than  in  aught  else  ;  for  it  broke  that  serv- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  151 

ice's  power  more  than  aught  else  had  done 
since  the  time  of  La  Hogue,  ten  years  ago; 
and  it  crippled  France  so  upon  the  waters 
that,  though  she  still  continued  to  fight  us 
boldly  whenever  we  met,  she  was  able  to  do 
but  very  little  harm  in  that  way. 

Of  the  fifteen  great  ships  of  war  which 
the  French  admiral,  Chateaurenault,  com- 
manded, five  were  burned  up,  some  being 
set  alight  by  themselves  ere  they  fled,  the 
others  by  us.  Four  others  were  run  ashore 
and  bulged.  Five  more,  not  so  badly  in- 
jured, were  taken  home  by  our  fleet,  and 
afterward  did  us  good  service  against  their 
old  masters,  these  being  Le  Prompte, 
L? Assure,  Le  Firme,  Le  ModZre,  and  Le 
Triton;  while  the  remaining  one,  Le  Bour- 
bon, was  captured,  as  I  have  said,  by  Van- 
dergoes,  and  fell  to  the  share  of  the  Dutch. 
Then,  of  their  frigates,  we  burnt  two,  and 
also  a  fireship  other  than  the  merchantman 
loaded  with  snuff.  Also,  we  burnt  and  de- 
stroyed three  Spanish  men-of-war. 

As  to  the  galleons,  eight  of  them  were 
sunk  by  their  owners,  the  others  were  di- 
vided between  our  Dutch  friends  and  our- 
selves. And  this  is  what  we  got  for  our 
share  :  A  few  ingots  of  gold,  several  bars 
of  silver  and  some  jewels — the  principal 
thing  of  worth  amongst  these  being  a  great 


152  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

crown  of  gold  set  with  rubies ;  a  gold  cruci- 
fix enriched  with  many  stones,  seven  hun- 
dred pounds'  weight  of  silver  bars,  many 
cases  of  silver  ore,  and  some  enormous 
cases  of  plate.  Also,  there  was  much 
cochineal,  tobacco,  logwood,  cocoa,  snuff 
and  sugar,  some  of  which  was  saved  and 
some  was  sunk  to  the  bottom.  And  the 
gold  and  silver  was  afterward  taken  to  our 
English  mint  and  coined  into  five-pound 
pieces,  crowns,  half-crowns  and  shillings, 
each  piece  having  "  Vigo "  stamped  be- 
neath the  queen's  head,  thereby  to  distin- 
guish it.  Later  on,  and  somewhat  later, 
too — it  was  when  I  drew  my  share  of  the 
prize  money,  to  which  I  became  entitled  as 
having  taken  part  in  that  great  fight — I  ob- 
served that  my  pieces  had  that  word  upon 
them. 

But  alas !  there  should  have  been  much 
more,  only  the  galleons  had  lain  twenty-five 
days  within  that  harbour  ere  we  got  to 
them,  and,  during  that  time,  they  had 
landed  much  which  had  been  sent  on  to 
Lugo,  and,  had  it  not  been  for  that  foolish 
Spanish  punctilio,  which  would  not  allow 
anything  to  be  done  hastily,  they  would 
have  gotten  all  of  their  goods  and  precious 
things  ashore.  Only,  because  they  should 
have  gone  into  Cadiz  and  discharged  there, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   153 

and  had  instead  come  to  Vigo,  much  delay 
happened  ere  the  order  for  their  doing  so 
was  given.  Which  was  very  good  for  us. 

Our  loss,  considering  the  fierce  fight 
both  sides  made  of  it,  was  not  considerable. 
Hopson,  his  ship,  because  she  had  borne 
the  brunt  of  the  encounter,  did  suffer  the 
most,  she  having  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
of  her  sailors  killed  on  the  deck  or  drowned, 
with  nine  wounded ;  the  Barfleur  and  the 
Association  had  each  but  two  men  killed; 
the  Mary  lost  none;  the  Kent  had  her 
bo'sun  wounded,  while  for  ourselves,  we 
had  many  wounded,  but  none  that  I  know  of 
killed.  Of  those  who  went  ashore  to  attack 
the  Fort  of  Redondella  under  his  Grace 
of  Ormond,  none  of  much  note  were  slain, 
but  Colonel  Pierce  got  a  bad  wound  from  a 
cannon  shot  fired  by  one  of  our  own  men- 
of-war,  and  some  other  colonels  were  also 
wounded. 

'Twas  through  a  mighty  mass  of 
wreckage  and  floating  spars,  masts  and 
yards,  that  we  passed  toward  the  Royal 
Sovereign^  which  lay  back  a  bit  and  was 
nearest  the  mouth  of  the  strait  and  be- 
yond where  that  boom  had  been,  and  as 
we  did  so  I  saw  my  young  gentleman, 
Senor  Belmonte,  turn  somewhat  pale  as  he 
observed  the  terrible  traces  which  battles 


154  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

— and  more  particularly  sea  battles — al- 
ways leave  behind.  Indeed,  the  soft  red 
flush  leapt  to  his  cheeks,  and  the  full  scarlet 
lips  themselves  looked  more  white  than  red 
as  his  eyes  glanced  down  at  the  objects 
that  went  a-floating  by  on  the  water;  and, 
perhaps,  since  he  was  so  young,  't  was  not 
very  strange  that  these  sights  should  have 
sickened  him.  For  there  passed  us  dead 
men  with  half  their  heads  blown  off;  others 
with  a  terrible  grin  of  agony  upon  their 
faces;  some  with  half  their  inwards  drag- 
ging alongside  them  like  cords — the  waves 
all  tinged  a  horrid  reddish  brown — while 
hats,  wigs  and  other  things  floating  by  as 
the  tide  made,  were  but  cruel  sights  for  so 
young  a  man — and  he,  probably,  no  fighter 
— to  see.  And,  after  such  a  lusty  encoun- 
ter as  this  had  been,  one  could  not  hope  to 
witness  anything  much  better. 

As  for  the  monk  —  on  whom  I  could  not 
but  instinctively  fix  my  eyes  now  and  again, 
for  (although  I  could  not  have  told  why) 
the  man  had  fascinated  me  with  the  knowl- 
edge which  he  seemed  to  have  once  pos- 
sessed of  all  those  hideous  filibusters  and 
sea  rovers  who  now,  he  said,  were  dead  and 
gone  and  driven  off  the  ocean  —  he  seemed 
to  regard  these  things  as  calmly  and  im- 
passibly  as  though  he  sat  in  some  lady's 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  155 

boudoir.  His  dark  eyes,  't  was  true,  flashed 
here  and  there  and  all  around — now  on  a 
headless  man,  and  now  on  the  contorted 
features  of  another,  but  he  paled  not,  nor 
did  he  express  or  give  any  sign  of  interest 
in  aught  until  we  ran  along-side  our  noble 
Royal  Sovereign,  when  he  cast  his  eye  ap- 
provingly over  her. 

"A  great  vessel,"  he  said,  "a  mighty 
craft  I  Worthy  to  represent  her  great 
country  " ;  then  grasped  the  life  line  hang- 
ing down,  as  I  motioned  him  to  ascend  her 
gangway,  and  went  on  board  as  calmly  as 
though  accustomed  to  going  over  the  sides 
of  ships  every  day  of  his  life.  From  the 
main  shrouds  there  hung  a  flag  when  we 
stepped  on  board,  which  I  have  since  learned 
to  know  denoted  that  a  council  of  war  was 
being  held  in  the  ship ;  also  there  were 
many  captains'  gigs  and  some  admirals' 
barges  all  about  her,  so  that  'twas  plain 
enough  to  see,  even  without  that  flag,  that 
a  consultation  was  taking  place  on  board. 
And  scarce  had  I  given  my  orders  for  the 
chests  to  be  hauled  in  than  the  first  lieuten- 
ant approached  me  and  asked  very  cour- 
teously if  I  was  not  Lieutenant  Crespin. 

A  moment  later  I  was  being  ushered 
into  the  great  main  cabin,  leaving  my  two 
companions  on  the  deck  for  the  present  — 


156  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  in  another  instant  was  making-  my 
salutations  to  the  grey-haired  admiral,  Sir 
George  Rooke,  who  sat  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  and  to  his  Grace,  the  Duke  of  Or- 
mond — a  brave,  handsome  soldier  —  who 
had  come  on  board  after  taking  of  the  Fort 
of  Redondella. 

And  now  I  pass  over  the  many  flattering 
things  said  to  me  by  those  great  officers 
seated  there  —  since  we  had  flown  straight 
to  Vigo  after  the  Pembroke  had  picked  up 
the  fleet  at  sea,  and  had  at  once  been  occu- 
pied in  our  preparations  for  taking  of  the 
galleons,  this  was  the  first  time  we  had 
met  —  over,  also,  the  compliments  paid  me 
for  the  manner  in  which  I  had  made  my 
way  from  Holland  to  Cadiz  and  Lagos. 
Suffice  it  that  both  Sir  George  Rooke  and  the 
duke  told  me  that  my  services  would  not  be 
forgot,  and  that  when  I  returned  to  my 
Lord  Marlborough  I  should  not  go  unac- 
companied by  their  commendations.  How- 
ever, enough  of  this.  And  now  I  told  my 
tale  of  the  morning,  and  of  the  two  persons 
I  had  found  on  board  La  Sacra  Familia  — 
told,  too,  that  they  were  at  this  moment  on 
board  the  Royal  Sovereign,  I  having  deemed 
it  best  to  bring  them  along  with  me. 

"Let  us  see  them,"  said   Rooke,  and 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  157 

straightway  bade  his  flag-  lieutenant  go 
bring  them  in. 

But  I  think  that,  although  I  had  told  all 
assembled  at  this  board  what  kind  of  per- 
sons these  were  whom  I  had  discovered  in 
the  ship,  all  the  admirals,  generals  and  cap- 
tains were  astonished  at  their  appearance 
when  they  stood  before  them;  while  so 
handsome  a  show  of  it  did  my  young  Senor 
Belmonte  make,  that,  perhaps  almost  un- 
knowing what  he  did,  Admiral  Hopson 
pushed  a  chair  toward  him  and  bade  him 
be  seated.  And  because  such  courtesy 
could  not  be  shown  to  one  of  these  visitors 
without  the  same  being  extended  to  the 
other,  the  monk  was  also  accommodated 
with  a  chair  in  which  he  sat  himself  calmly, 
his  eyes  roving  round  all  those  officers  as- 
sembled there. 

"You  were  passengers  in  this  galleon — 
the  —  the  —  Sacra  Familia?"  Sir  George 
said,  glancing  at  a  paper  in  his  hand,  on 
which  I  supposed  the  names  of  all  the  cap- 
tured ships  were  written  down,  "and  as  this 
officer  tells  me,  are  anxious  to  proceed  to 
your  destination.  Will  you  inform  me  of 
what  that  destination  is,  so  that  we  may 
assist  you  in  your  desire?" 

"  Mine,"  exclaimed  Senor  Juan — and  as 
bis  sweet,  soft  voice  uttered  the  words  mu- 


158  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

sically,  all  eyes  were  turned  on  him,  "is 
England  eventually;  yet,"  and  he  smiled 
that  gracious  smile  which  I  had  seen  before, 
"my  passage  was  but  paid  to  Spain  —  and 
I  am  in  Spain.  Beyond  being  permitted  to 
go  ashore  here  with  my  few  necessaries,  I 
know  not  that  I  need  demand  any  of  your 
politely  proffered  assistance." 

Sir  George  shrugged  his  shoulders  while 
he  looked  attentively  at  the  handsome  young 
man — who,  I  thought,  to  speak  truth,  re- 
ceived the  civilities  of  his  speech  with  some- 
what too  much  the  air  of  one  accustomed  to 
having  homage  and  consideration  paid  to 
him  —  then  he  said  quietly : 

"  That,  of  course,  shall  be  done  at  once. 
There  can  be  no  obstacle  to  that.  We  only 
regret  that  the  rigours  of  war  have  caused 
us  to  inconvenience  any  ordinary  passen- 
ger. You  have  of  course  your  papers." 

"Yes,  I  have  them  here,"  and  he  pro- 
duced from  his  breast  a  bundle,  at  which 
Sir  George  glanced  lightly. 

Then  he  turned  to  Father  Jaime,  who 
preserved  still  the  look  of  calmness  which 
had  distinguished  him  all  through.  Yet  1 
wondered,  too,  that  he  should  have  done  so, 
for  he  had  been  subjected  to  even  more 
scrutiny  than  Belmonte  had  been,  perhaps 
because  of  the  garb  he  wore;  scrutiny 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  159 

that,  in  one  instance  at  least,  would  have 
disquieted  a  less  contained  man,  since  Ad- 
miral Hopson,  I  noticed,  had  scarcely  ever 
taken  his  eyes  off  him  since  he  had  entered 
the  cabin,  or,  when  he  had  taken  them  off, 
had  instantly  refixed  them  so  upon  his  coun- 
tenance that  'twas  very  palpable  to  me  that 
the  man  puzzled  him.  But  what  need  to 
describe  that  look  which  all  the  world  has 
often  seen  on  the  face  of  one  who  is  en- 
deavouring- to  recall  to  himself  where,  or 
whether,  he  has  ever  seen  another  before. 

"And  you,  sir?  "  the  admiral  asked. 

"My  destination,"  the  monk  replied, 
his  voice  firm,  full  and  sonorous  as  before, 
"is  the  Abbey  of  Lugo;  and  since  't  is  far 
nearer  here  than  Cadiz,  I  can  scarce  regret 
finding  myself  at  Vigo,  instead  of  at  the 
latter  place." 

And,  even  as  he  spoke,  I  saw  Hopson 
give  a  slight  start  and  look  even  more  in- 
tently at  him  than  before. 

Then  he  bent  forward  toward  Father 
Jaime, and  said  quietly:  "Reverend  sir,  is 
it  possible  that  we  have  ever  met  before? 
In  the  West  Indies,  to  wit?  " 


CHAPTER  XII. 

WHAT   DID   THE  ADMIRAL  DISCOVER? 

Not  a  month  had  elapsed  ere  I  stood 
alone  on  the  beach  of  Viana,  which  is  in  the 
province  of  Entre-Douro-e-Minho,  in  Por- 
tugal, and  watched,  with  somewhat  sad 
thoughts  in  my  mind,  the  white  foresail  and 
mainsail  of  the  Pembroke's  jolly  boat  rising 
and  falling  on  the  waters  as,  gradually,  it 
made  its  way  out  to  sea  to  where,  a  league 
off,  there  lay  the  English  fleet.  The  Eng- 
lish fleet,  and  bound  for  England  1 

Vigo  was  freed  of  its  enemies  and  cap- 
tors; over  night,  at  dark,  the  whole  of  the 
British  forces  had  cleared  out  of  the  bay, 
and,  this  morning,  Juan  Belmonte  and  my- 
self had  been  put  ashore  at  this  miserable 
Portuguese  town,  or  rather  village,  lying 
some  twenty  miles  south  of  the  Spanish 
frontier. 

Briefly,  this  was  the  reason  why  I  found 
myself  standing  alone  upon  this  beach 
watching  that  fast  disappearing  boat,  while, 
walking  up  to  the  town,  went  Senor  Juan  to 
seek  for  lodgings  for  us  for  the  night. 

160 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  161 

After  that  council  was  concluded  on 
board  the  Royal  Sovereign  —  and  from 
which  Father  Jaime,  Belmonte  and  myself 
had  retired  after  our  interview  with  the 
admirals — the  conclusion  had  been  arrived 
at  that,  the  work  being- done  here — namely, 
the  French  fleet  incur  power  and  the  Span- 
ish galleons  destroyed — it  would  be  impoli- 
tic as  well  as  unnecessary  for  the  English  to 
remain  any  longer  in  the  place.  This  de- 
cision was,  however,  come  to  totally  against 
the  desire  of  the  Duke  of  Ormond,  who  him- 
self was  anxious  to  take  possession  of  the 
town  of  Vigo,  to  lie  there  during  the  winter 
months,  and,  in  the  spring,  to  open  again 
the  campaign  against  France  in  that  portion 
of  Spain.  Unfortunately,  however,  for  this 
idea — which  was  in  fact  a  mighty  good  one, 
and,  if  carried  out,  might  have  gone  far 
toward  crippling  France  even  more  than 
she  was  eventually  crippled — it  was  impos- 
sible. There  were  no  provisions  whereby 
his  army  could  be  sustained  for  the  winter, 
nor  had  Rooke  a  sufficiency  in  his  ships  to 
provide  him  with,  and  neither  would  the 
admiral  consent  to  leave  behind  a  portion 
of  his  fleet  with  which  —  should  it  come  to 
that  —  the  duke  could  escape  in  case  of 
necessity. 

"For,"  said  he  to  Ormond,  as  I  learnt, 


162  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"  you  have  seen,  my  Lord  Duke,  the  disaster 
which  has  followed  on  our  enemies  trusting 
themselves  within  this  narrow  and  land- 
locked bay.  Would  your  Grace,  therefore, 
think  it  wise  to  follow  their  bad  example 
and  give  them  an  opportunity  which,  doubt 
not,  they  would  take  as  soon  as  possible,  of 
retaliating-  upon  us?" 

And  to  this  Ormond  could  but  shrug-  his 
shoulders,  being-  able  to  find  no  answer  to 
such  remark.  Therefore,  at  last  —  for  all 
was  not  decided  on  the  instant,  but  only  af- 
ter many  more  councils  and  much  further 
arg-ument — it  was  resolved  that  the  fleet 
should  remain  no  long-er,  nor,  of  course,  the 
land  forces  neither. 

But  while  all  these  determinations  were 
being-  come  to,  I  had  had  more  than  one  in- 
terview with  Rooke  and  Ormond  (both  of 
whom  had  entertained  and  made  much  of, 
nor  ceased  ever  their  commendations  of, 
me),  since  it  was  very  necessary  that  a  de- 
cision should  be  come  to  as  to  what  was  to 
be  my  future  course.  For  my  work  was 
done,  my  connection  with  this  fleet  over;  I 
had  no  more  business  there.  It  was  time 
I  got  back  to  my  own  regiment.  Only  how 
to  get  there  —  that  was  the  question  ! 

"You  will  scarce  find  at  any  port,  Span- 
ish or  Portuguese,  "said  the  admiral  tome, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  163 

"a  vessel  putting-  to  sea  now;  the  risk  is 
too  great.  For,  consider,  we  are  all  about, 
and  none  know  what  may  be  our  next  move 
—  this  one  has  frightened  all  this  part  of 
the  world.  Then  that  old  dog-,  Benbow, 
lieth  in  wait  farther  up.  While  to  make 
the  seas  still  more  dangerous,  the  French 
ships  of  war  and  the  privateers  are  every- 
where. In  truth,  all  traffic  on  the  water  is 
at  an  end  for  a  time." 

"  Tis  not  so  on  land,  though,  sir,"  I  ven- 
tured to  say,  "with  a  good  horse  I  would 
undertake " 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  Ormond,  with  a 
laugh,  "not  surely  to  make  your  way  to 
Flanders  by  land  !  You  would  scarce  try 
that." 

"Ay!  but  I  would,  though,  my  Lord 
Duke,"  I  said,  laughing,  too,  at  the  look  of 
amazement  on  his  face.  "In  very  truth,  I 
would.  I  have  thought  it  all  over. " 

"  'T  is  impossible  !  You  would  never 
arrive." 

"  Your  Grace,  I  think  I  should.  Permit 
me  to  explain.  We  are  here  in  Spain " 

"Ay,"  said  Rooke,  interposing,  "and  so 
we  are.  But,  Mr.  Crespin,  you  would  never 
get  ashore,  or,  getting  there,  would  never 
escape  out  of  Vigo.  Remember,  the  town 
itself  is  not  in  our  hands,  and  the  moment 


164  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

we  were  gone  you  would  be  set  upon,  or, 
even  though  you  should  be  unmolested 
while  we  remain  here,  you  would  be  fol- 
lowed from  Vigo  and " 

"Sir,"  I  interrupted  in  my  excitement, 
"  this  is  my  plan:  There  is  a  seaport  hard 
by  here,  called  Viana,  and  't  is  in  Portu- 
guese territory — therefore  neutral — yet 
inclining  more  to  us  than  to  France." 

"Aye,"  said  Rooke,  "and  will  come 
over  to  us  ere  long.  The  king  leans  to 
our  side  the  most,  because  we  are  strong- 
est on  the  seas — this  taking  of  the  galleons 
will  decide  him." 

"  Meanwhile,"  I  went  on,  "  't  is  neutral. 
Now,  from  there  I  can  make  my  way  to 

Spain " 

"There's  the  rub!  When  you  are  in 
Spain.  And  afterward,  in  France.  What 
then?" 

"  In  both  countries  I  can  be  a  French- 
man," and  now  I  saw  these  two  great  offi- 
cers look  at  me  attentively.  "  I  have  the 
French  tongue  very  well — well  enough  to 
pass  through  Spain  as  a  Frenchman,  while 
— when  in  France — I  can  pass  as  a  Span- 
iard who  knows  the  French." 

"'S  heart!"  exclaimed  Ormond,  slap- 
ping of  the  table  with  his  be-ringed  hand, 
"but  I  would  you  were  in  one  of  my  regi- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  165 

ments.  You  have  a  brain  as  well  as  a  stal- 
wart form.  You  must  go  far ;  and  shall,  if 
my  word  is  any  good  with  Jack  Churchill." 

"My  Lord  Duke,  you  are  most  gra- 
cious. Yet  may  I  not  ask  if  the  plan  is  a 
fair  one?  At  least,  remembering  that,  by 
sea,  the  way  is  closed." 

Fair  or  not  fair,  at  least  I  brought  them 
to  it — more  especially  since,  even  though 
they  had  most  utterly  disapproved  of  my 
proposed  method,  they  could  neither  of 
them  have  opposed  it.  For  I  was  the  Earl 
of  Marlborough's  officer;  nay,  more,  I  was 
his  own  particular  and  private  messenger ; 
I  had  come  under  his  orders,  and  was  still 
under  them.  Moreover,  his  last  words  to 
me  had  been :  "  Do  your  duty  ;  fulfil  the 
task  I  charge  you  with;  then  make  your 
way  back  to  me  as  best  you  can."  That 
was  all,  yet  enough. 

Therefore  it  was  arranged  without  more 
demur,  though  Sir  George  Rooke,  who  was 
now  growing  old,  shook  his  head  somewhat 
gravely,  even  as  he  ceased  endeavouring  to 
turn  me  from  what  I  had  resolved  on. 

"For, "said  he,  kindly,  "I  like  it  not. 
You  are  still  young — some  years  off  thirty, 
I  should  suppose — and  you  are  a  good  sol- 
dier— too  good  to  be  spared  to  any  crawl- 
ing Spaniard's  knife  or  to  fall  into  any  true- 


166  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ulent  Frenchman's  hands.  And  I  would 
have  taken  you  to  England  and  put  in  the 
first  queen's  ship  for  Holland,  had  you 
chosen.  Still,  as  you  will,  you  will.  Only, 
be  very  careful." 

"Sir!"  I  said,  touched  at  his  fatherly 
consideration.  "Be  sure  I  will.  Yet  I 
think  I  can  take  care  of  myself.  I  have 
a  good  sword  and  a  strong1  arm,  and 
—  well,  one  bullet  is  much  the  same  as 
another.  If  one  finds  me  in  Spain  or 
France,  'twill  be  no  worse  than  one  in 
Flanders.  And,  perhaps,  my  bullet  is  not 
moulded  yet ! " 

As  for  his  Grace,  he  took  a  different 
tack,  he  being  younger  and  more  dlbonnair 
than  the  admiral. 

"Oddsbobs,"  he  said,  "bullets  are  bul- 
lets, and  may  be  a  soldier's  lot  or  not.  But 
for  you,  Lieutenant,  I  fear  a  worse  danger. 
You  are  a  good-looking  fellow  enough,  with 
your  height  and  breadth,  blue  eyes  and 
brown  hair.  Rather,  therefore,  beware  of 
the  Spanish  girls,  and  keep  out  of  their 
way  —  or,  encountering  them,  give  them 
no  cause  for  jealousy!  Oh!  I  know  them, 
and  — well,  they  are  the  devil !  'T  is  they 
who  wield  the  knife  —  as  often  as  not 
against  those  whom  they  loved  five  min- 
utes back." 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  167 

And,  looking-  at  the  duke  —  who  was 
himself  of  great  manly  beauty  —  I  could 
well  enough  believe  he  knew  what  he  was 
talking  of.  For,  if  all  reports  were  true  — 
but  this  matters  not. 

The  time  had  not,  however,  yet  come, 
for  some  day  or  so,  for  me  to  set  out,  since 
't  was  arranged  that  I  should  be  put  ashore 
by  one  of  the  Pembroke's  boats  when  the 
fleet  went  out  of  the  bay,  and  that  then 
my  last  farewell  would  be  made  to  those 
amongst  whom  I  had  now  lived  for  some 
weeks.  Meanwhile,  Sir  George  asked  me 
what  had  become  of  my  young  friend,  the 
Spanish  gentleman,  whom  he  called  my 
"captive." 

Now,  this  young  captive  had  had  still 
another  interview  with  him  after  that  first 
one,  Sir  George  having  sent  for  him  from 
the  Pembroke,  into  which  he  had  been  tem- 
porarily received  as  a  guest  —  since  La 
Sacra  Familia  had  been  sunk  by  us  after 
being  dismantled  of  all  in  her  of  any  worth 
—  and  he  had  once  more  renewed  his  offer 
of  taking-  him  to  England.  And  it  sur- 
prised me  exceedingly  —  I. being  present  at 
this  interview  —  to  observe  the  extraordi- 
nary courtesy  and  deference  which  he — ' 
who  was  more  used  to  receive  deference 
from  his  fellow-men  than  to  accord  it  — 


168  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

showed  to  the  youth ;  for  he  took  him 
very  graciously  by  the  hand  when  he  en- 
tered the  cabin,  led  him  to  a  seat,  and, 
when  there,  renewed  once  more  that  offer 
of  which  I  have  spoken. 

Indeed,  his  politeness  was  so  great  that 
I  began  to  wonder  if,  by  any  chance,  the 
admiral  knew  of  this  young  man  being 
any  one  of  extreme  importance,  to  whom  it 
might  be  worth  his  while,  as  the  chief  rep- 
resentative of  England  here,  to  pay  court. 
Yet,  so  silly  was  that  wonderment  that  I 
dismissed  it  instantly  from  my  mind,  de- 
ciding that  it  was  pity  for  his  youth  and 
loneliness  which  so  urged  the  other. 

"If  you  would  go  with  us,"  he  said,  sit- 
ting by  Belmonte's  side,  and  speaking  in 
the  soft,  well  bred  tones  which  were  special 
to  him,  "you  should  be  very  welcome,  I 
assure  you,  sir  ;  and  I  do  not  say  this  as  a 
sailor  speaking  to  one  who  has  by  chance 
fallen  into  his  hands,  so  to  put  it,  but  as  an 
old  man  to  a  —  to  a  young  one ;  for,  sir,  I 
have  children  myself,  some  young  as  you, 
some  older  ;  have  sons  and  —  and  daugh- 
ters, and  I  should  be  most  grateful  to  all 
who  would  be  kind  to  them." 

Now,  as  he  spoke  thus  there  became 
visible  in  Seiior  Juan  another  trait  of  char- 
acter which  I  had  scarce  looked  to  see,  it 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     169 

proving-  him  to  be  a  youth  of  great  sus- 
ceptibility. For,  as  the  admiral  made  his 
kindly  speech,  I  saw  the  beautiful  dark  eyes 
of  the  young-  man  fill  with  tears  —  't  was 
marvellous  how  handsome  he  appeared  at 
this  moment  —  and,  a  second  later,  he  had 
seized  the  old  man's  hand  and  had  clasped 
it  to  his  breast  and  kissed  it. 

But,  even  as  he  performed  this  action,  I 
also  saw  Sir  George  start  a  little,  give,  in- 
deed, what  was  but  the  faintest  of  starts  ; 
yet  beneath  the  bronze  upon  his  manly  face 
there  rose  a  colour  which,  had  he  not  been 
a  sailor,  and  that  a  pretty  old  one,  might 
have  appeared  to  be  a  blush.  But  because 
he  was  so  manly  and  so  English  himself — 
being  always  most  courteous  and  well  bred, 
though  abhorring,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  all 
signs  of  emotion  —  I  concluded  that  this 
foreign  style  of  salutation  did  not  commend 
itself  over-much  to  him ;  yet  he  listened 
very  courteously,  deferentially  almost,  it 
appeared,  to  the  words  of  gratitude  which 
the  youth  was  now  pouring  out  —  words  of 
gratitude  for  his  offer,  yet  combined  also 
with  an  absolute  refusal  of  that  offer. 

"Very  well;  since  you  will  not,  sir," 
he  said,  when  the  young  man  had  finished, 
"  there  is  no  more  to  be  done.  Yet,  take  a 
word  of  warning  from  me,  I  beseech  you. 


170  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

You  will  find  it  hard  to  reach  England  in  a 
better  way  than  I  have  suggested  to  you. 
Both  France  and  Spain  must  be  overrun 
with  troops  of  all  kinds  at  this  time  and  —  if 
you  fall  into  their  hands  with  your  papers 
about  you,  showing-  you  are  an  English  sub- 
ject—  it  may  go  hard.  Also" — and  now 
he  tapped  the  cabin  deck  with  his  red-heeled 
shoe  and  looked  down  at  it  for  a  moment  — 
"also  —  you  are  extremely  well  favoured. 
That,  too,  may  injure  you  should  —  should 
—  but, "he  went  on,  and  without  conclud- 
ing his  last  sentence,  "you  understand 
what  I  mean,"  and  now  he  gazed  at  Senor 
Juan  with  clear,  frank  eyes  ;  gazed  straight 
into  his  own. 

For  the  life  of  me  I  could  not  under- 
stand what  he  was  driving  at,  even  if  the 
youth  himself  could;  since  how  a  man 
should  be  injured  by  his  good  looks,  even 
though  in  a  hostile  country,  I  failed  to  con- 
ceive. Certain,  however,  it  was  that  the 
other  understood  well  enough  Sir  George's 
meaning  —  his  next  action  showed  plainly 
enough  that  he  did. 

For  now  the  rich  warm  colouring  left 
his  soft  downless  cheeks,  even  the  full  lips 
became  pale,  and  he  lifted  his  long  slim 
hand  and  thrust  it  through  the  clusters  of 
curls  that  hung  over  his  forehead,  as  though 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   171 

in  some  distress  of  mind;  then  said,  a 
moment  later,  looking-  up  now  and  return- 
ing- the  admiral's  glance  fearlessly,  while 
speaking-  very  low. 

"  Yes,  I  understand.  Yet,  Senor,  have 
no  fear." 

But  I  noticed,  all  the  same,  that  he  lifted 
his  other  hand  as  though  to  deprecate  Sir 
Georg-e  saying-  another  word,  which  gesture 
he  too  seemed  quite  to  understand,  since 
he  gave  a  half  bow  very  solemnly  ere  he 
turned  away. 

Later,  after  Senor  Juan  had  departed, 
and  when  Admiral  Hopson  had  come  over 
to  the  Royal  Sovereign,  to  prepare  for 
another  of  those  endless  councils  which 
took  place  daily,  Sir  George  looked  up  at 
me  from  some  papers  he  was  perusing,  and 
said:  "  You  are  in  the  Pembroke,  Mr.  Cres- 
pin.  Where  have  they  bestowed  that  young 
man?" 

"He  is  very  comfortable,  sir,"  I  replied. 
"  They  have  given  him  a  spare  cabin  in  the 
after  flat." 

"And  the  officers?  Do  they  make  him 
welcome,  treat  him  with  courtesy?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  indeed.  He  is  popular  with 
them  already,  sings  them  sweet  songs  ac- 
companied by  that  instrument  of  his;  is  a 
rare  hand  a^t  tricks  of  all  kinds  with  the 


172  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

pass-dice  and  cards,  and  so  forth.  They  will 
miss  him  when  he  has  gone." 

"  Humph !  Does  he  say  who  or  what  he 
is  —  which  island  in  the  Indies  he  belongs 
to  —  who  are  his  kith  and  kin?  " 

"He  says  not  much,  sir,  on  that  score; 
except  that  he  is  well  enough  to  do  —  is 
traveling  more  or  less  to  kill  time  —  cares 
very  little  where  he  goes  to  for  the  present, 
so  that  he  sees  the  world.  As  for  his  home, 
he  appears  best  acquainted  with  Jamaica." 

"  Ha  1 "  said  Sir  George.  "  He  says  all 
that,  does  he  ?  Yet,  though  't  is  not  per- 
missible to  doubt  those  who  stand  more  or 
less  in  the  degree  of  guests,  I  somewhat 
suspect  that  young  man  of  not  being  all  he 
appears  to  be.  There  is  some  other  reason 
for  his  voyage  to  Europe  than  that  he  gives; 
he  comes  not  on  mere  pleasure  only.  I 
know  that — some  day  if  you  ever  meet  him 
again  you  will  very  likely  know  it,  too,  Mr. 
Crespin." 

"Perhaps,"  exclaimed  Admiral  Hopson 
— who  was  soon  to  become  Sir  John  Hopson 
(with  a  good  pension)  for  the  gallant  part 
he  had  played  in  the  late  fight  —  "he  was  a 
friend  of  that  accursed  monk,  although  he 
has  not  levanted  as  he  did.  And  since  you 
talk  of  meetings,  why,  i'fags,  I  would  like 
to  meet  that  gentleman  once  more," 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  173 

"  Levanted ! "  Sir  George  and  I  ex- 
claimed together.  "Is  the  monk  set  out?" 

"Ay,  he  is,"  replied  the  other.  "Went 
last  night  —  the  instant  he  could  get  his 
necessaries  out  of  the  galleon's  hold.  It 
was  discourteous,  too,  since  I  had  previously 
sent  to  crave  a  few  words  with  him." 

"  'S faith, "Sir  George  exclaimed  with  a 
laugh,  "you  are  not  turning  Papist,  old 
friend,  [are  you  ?  Didst  want  the  monk  to 
shrive  or  confess  you,  or  receive  you  into 
his  church?" 

"Not  I  —  no  Papistical  doings  for  me," 
the  blunt  old  gentleman  replied.  "The 
church  my  mother  had  me  baptised  in,  and 
under  whose  blessing  I  have  been  fighting 
all  my  life,  is  good  enough  for  me  to  finish 
in.  Still,  had  I  a  foolish  woman's  mind  to 
change,  't  would  not  be  to  that  man  I 
should  go." 

"Why!"  exclaimed  Sir  George,  "what 
know  you  of  him?  Yet  —  yet,"  and  he 
spoke  slowly,  "you  know  the  Indies,  Tom 
— and  the  monks  are  not  always  what  they 
might  be.  Did  you  chance  to  know  him, 
since  you  sent  to  demand  an  interview?" 

"I  thought  so,"  said  the  inscrutable  old 
sea  dog  quietly,  "wherefore  I  sent  asking 
him  for  a  meeting.  Yet,  as  our  beloved 
friends  the  French  say,  the  cowl  does  not 


174  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

always  make  the  monk.  Hey  ?  And,  if  't  is 
the  man  I  think,  't  was  not  always  the  cowl 
and  g-own  that  adorned  his  person — rather, 
instead,  the  belt  and  pistols,  buff  jerkin, 
scarlet  sash,  long1  serviceable  rapier  handy, 
and — have  at  you,  ha!  one,  two  and  through 
you.  Heyl" 

And  as  he  spoke  he  made  a  feint  of 
lunging  at  his  brother  admiral  with  a  quill 
that  lay  to  his  hand. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
"DANGERS  WORSE  THAN  SHOT  OR  STEEL — OR 

DEATH." 

Now  I  return  to  the  beach  at  Viana,  on 
which  I  stood  after  having-  quitted  the  fleet 
— yet  still,  ere  I  go  on,  I  must  put  you  in  the 
way  of  knowing  how  it  comes  about  that  for 
companion  I  have  Senor  Juan  Belmonte, 
who  at  this  moment  is  making  his  way  into 
what  proved  to  be  a  very  filthy  town  in 
search  of  lodgings  for  us  for  the  night. 
And  this  is  how  it  came  about : 

When  it  was  decided  finally  that  I  should 
part  from  the  British  squadron  on  the  day 
they  cleared  out — they  intending  to  anchor 
over  night  outside  of  Vigo  bay  and  to  send 
forward  some  frigates  scouting  ere  going 
on  their  way  to  England — I  made  mention 
to  Belmonte  that  such  was  my  intention. 
Also  I  asked  him — I  finding  of  him  in  his 
cabin,  where  he  was  reading  a  Spanish  book 
of  love  verses — what  he  meant  to  do  with 
himself,  since,  if  he  did  not  leave  the  ship 
when,  or  before,  I  did,  he  would  be  forced 

175 


176  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

to  accept  Sir  George's  invitation  to  proceed 
to  England  with  bin. 

"  Oh,  my  friend ! "  he  said,  with  ever  the 
soft,  gentle  smile  upon  his  handsome  feat- 
ures, "my  friend  and  conqueror" — for  so 
he  had  taken  to  terming-  me — "I  want  no 
terrible  journey  to  England  in  these  great 
fierce  ships  of  war.  Tell  me,  tell  me,  amlgo 
mio,  what  you  are  going  to  do  yourself. 
Your  plans !  Your  plans ! " 

"My  plans,"  I  said,  seeing  no  reason 
why  I  should  not  divulge  them  to  him,  since 
it  was  impossible  he  could  do  me  any  hurt, 
even  if  so  inclined,  which  I  thought  not 
very  likely,  "  are  simple  ones.  I  go  ashore 
at  Viana,  find  a  horse — one  will  carry  me 
part  of  the  journey,  then  I  can  get  another 
— and  so,  by  God's  will,  get  to  the  end,  to 
my  destination." 

"  But  the  destination.  The  destination. 
Where  is  it?  Tell  me  that." 

"  The  destination  is  Flanders,  the  seat 
of  the  present  war.  I  am  a  soldier.  My 
place  is  there." 

"Aye,  aye,"  he  replied.  "I  know.  You 
have  told  me.  Your  service  is  not  with 
these  ships  nor  their  soldiers,  but  with 
others — a  great  army,  far  north." 

"That  is  it,  "I  said. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  177 

"And  you  will  travel  all  that  way — 
mean  to  travel — alone!  " 

"I  must,"  I  said,  "if  I  intend  to  get 
there.  There  is  no  other  way." 

"Take  me  with  you!"  he  exclaimed, 
suddenly,  spring-ing-  impetuously  to  his 
feet  from  the  chair  in  which  he  sat.  "Take 
me  with  you  !  I  will  be  a  good  companion 
—  amuse  you,  sing  to  you,  wile  away  the 
long  hours,  stand  by  your  side.  If  neces- 
sary," yet  he  said  this  a  little  slower,  and 
with  more  hesitation,  as  I  thought,  "  fight 
with  you." 

Now,  putting  all  other  objections  which 
rose  to  my  mind  away  for  the  moment,  this 
last  utterance  of  his  did  not  recommend 
him  very  strongly  to  me.  "Fight  for  me, 
indeed  !  "  I  thought.  "  A  fine  fighter  this 
would  be  !  —  a  youth  who  had  turned  pale 
at  seeing  a  dead  man  or  two  floating  by  in 
the  water  after  the  battle,  or  at  hearing  the 
shriek  of  a  wounded  one  as  we  rowed  past 
him  on  our  way  to  the  Royal  Sovereign  !  " 

However,  aloud  I  said  : 

"Senor  Belmonte,  I  fear  it  cannot  be  as 
you  desire.  The  road  will  be  hard  and 
rough,  the  journey  long ;  there  will  be 
little  opportunity  for  singing  and  jigget- 
tings.  Moreover,  death  will  always  be 
more  or  less  in  the  air.  If,  in  Spain  or 


178  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

France,  I  am  discovered  —  nay,  even  sus- 
pected of  being1  what  I  am,  an  English  sol- 
dier—  'twill  be  short  shrift  for  me.  I 
shall  be  deemed  a  spy,  and  shot,  or  hung 
to  the  nearest  tree.  Take,  therefore,  my 
counsel  at  once,  and  follow  it.  Go  you  to 
England  in  this  ship,  as  the  admiral  in- 
vites you.  That  way  you  will  be  safe 
and  easy." 

"No,  no,  no,"  he  answered.  "I  will 
not ;  I  will  not.  I  will  go  with  you.  I  like 
you,"  he  said,  with  a  most  friendly  glance. 
"If  —  if  you  go  alone  —  if  we  part  here  — 
we  shall  never  meet  again.  That  shall  not 
be.  I  am  resolved.  And  —  and  —  only  let 
me  go,  and  I  will  be  so  good  !  I  promise. 
Will  not  sing  a  note  —  will  —  see  there!" 
and,  like  a  petulant  boy  as  he  was,  he 
seized  his  viol  d'amore,  which  hung  on  a 
nail  in  the  cabin,  and  dashed  it  to  the 
floor,  while,  a  moment  later,  he  would  have 
stamped  his  foot  into  it  had  I  not  stopped 
him.  "  Yes,  I  will  break  it  all  to  pieces. 
Since  it  offends  you,  I  will  never  strike 
another  note  on  it,  nor  will  I  ever  sing 
again  —  not  in  your  hearing,  at  least  — 
though  I  have  known  some  who  liked  well 
enough  to  hear  me  play  —  and  sing,  too." 

"Juan,"  I  said,  not  knowing  in  the 
least  why  his  impassioned  grief  moved  me 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   179 

so  much  as  to  address  him  thus  familiarly, 
which  I  had  never  done  before,  "it  offends 
me  not  at  all ;  instead,  I  have  often  listened 
gratefully  to  the  music  of  your  voice  and 
viol.  But  now  —  now  —  on  such  a  journey 
as  I  go  it  would  be  out  of  place,  even  if  you 
were  there,  which  you  must  not  be." 

"I  must.  I  must.  I  must,"  he  an- 
swered. "  I  will.  You  called  me  Juan  just 
now  —  ah !  you  are  my  friend,  or  you  would 
not  speak  thus.  Oh !  "  he  went  on,  and  now 
he  clutched  my  arm  and  gazed  fervently 
into  my  face,  "do  not  refuse.  And  see, 
think,  Mervan,"  pronouncing  my  name 
thus,  and  in  a  tone  that  would  have  moved 
a  marble  heart,  "I  shall  be  no  trouble  to 
you.  I  can  ride,  oh!  like  a  devil  when  I 
choose  —  I  have  ridden  with  the  Mestizos 
and  natives  in  the  isles  —  and  I  can  use  a  pis- 
tol or  petronel,  also  a  sword.  See,"  and  he 
whipped  his  rapier  off  the  bed  where  it  was 
a-lying,  drew  it  from  its  sheath  impetu- 
ously, as  he  did  everything,  and  began 
making  pass  after  pass  through  the  open 
door  of  the  cabin  into  the  gangway.  "I 
know  what  to  do.  Also,  remember,  I  can 
speak  Spanish  when  we  are  in  Spain  —  pass 
for  a  Spaniard  if  'tis  necessary  —  and  — 

and  —  and "  he  broke  off,  "  if  you  will 

not  take  me  with  you,  why,  then,  I  will  fol- 


180  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

low  you  ;  track  you  like  a  shadow,  sleep  like 
a  dog-  outside  the  inn  in  which  you  lie  warm 
and  snug- ;  ay !  even  though  you  beat  me 
and  drive  me  away  for  doing1  so." 

Again  and  still  again  I  resisted,  yet 
't  was  hard  to  do  ;  for,  though  I  had  spoken 
against  his  singings  and  playings,  and  kept 
ever  before  my  eyes  the  stern  remembrance 
of  my  duty,  which  was  to  make  my  way 
straight  to  my  g-oal  and  crash  throug-h  all 
impediments,  I  could  not  but  reflect  that 
this  bright,  joyous  lad  by  my  side  would 
help  to  cheer  many  a  lonely  hour  and  many 
a  gloomy  mile.  Yet  again  I  spoke  against 
the  project,  putting-  such  thoughts  aside. 

"  Child, "  I  said,  ' '  you  do  not  know,  do  not 
understand.  Our  —  my  —  path  will  be  be- 
set with  dangers,  /know  what  I  am  doing-, 
what  lies  before  me.  Listen,  Juan.  'T  is 
more  than  like  that  I  shall  never  reach 
Flanders,  never  ride  with  my  old  troops 
again,  never  more  feel  a  comrade's  hand 
clasped  in  mine ;  may  perish  by  the  way 
side,  have  my  throat  cut  in  some  lonely  inn, 
be  shot  in  the  back,  taken  as  a  spy.  Yet 
't  is  my  duty.  I  am  a  soldier  and  a  man ; 
you  are " 

"  Yes?  "  with  an  inward  catching-  of  the 
breath,  a  flash  from  the  dark  eyes. 

"A  boy;    a    lad;    also,   you    say,  well 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  181 

enough  to  do,  with  a  long-  and  happy  life 
before  you,  no  call  upon  you  to  fling  that 
life  away.  Juan,  it  must  not  be." 

"It  shall,"  he  said,  leaning  forward  to- 
ward me.  "It  shall;  I  swear  it  by  my 
dead  mother's  memory.  Boy !  Lad,  you  say. 
So  be  it.  Yet  with  the  will  and  determina- 
tion of  a  hundred  men.  To-morrow,  Mer- 
van,  to-night,  to-day,  if  I  can  get  a  boat 
to  the  great  ship  out  there,  I  'visit  the  ad- 
miral and  ask  him  to  put  me  ashore  with 
you.  And  he  will  doit.  Great  as  he  is,  in 
command  over  all  you  English  here,  I  have 
a  power  within,"  and  he  struck  his  breast 
with  his  hands,  "a  power  over  him  which 
will  force  him  to  do  as  I  wish.  Do  you  dare 
me — challenge  me?  " 

"No,"  I  answered  quietly,  though  in 
truth  somewhat  amazed  at  his  words,  while 
still  remembering  the  strange  deference 
Sir  George  had  shown  all  along  to  the 
youth.  "I  dare  to  say  you  may  prevail — 
with  him." 

"Aye — with  him  !  "  and  now  he  laughed 
a  little,  showing  the  small  pearly  white 
teeth,  somewhat.  "  With  him !  I  under- 
stand. But  you  mean  not  with  you  also. 
Yet,  with  you,  too,  I  shall  prevail.  I  will 
follow  you  till  you  give  me  leave  to  keep 
ever  by  your  side.  Remember,  if  I  am  not 


182  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Spanish,  I  have  lived  in  Spain's  dependen- 
cies. I  can  be  very  Spanish  when  I 
choose, "and  again  he  laughed,  and  again 
the  white  teeth  glistened  beneath  the  scar- 
let lips. 

"If, "I  said,  scarce  knowing  or  under- 
standing what  power  was  influencing  me, 
making  me  a  puppet  in  this  youth's  hands 
—  yet  still  a  yielding  one! — "the  admiral 
gives  his  consent  to  put  you  ashore,  then 
I " 

"Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes,  Mervan?"  he 
interposed  quickly. 

"  Then  I  will  not  withhold  mine.  Come 
with  me  if  you  choose — remember,  't  is  at 
your  own  risk." 

In  a  moment  his  whole  face  was  transfig- 
ured with  joy.  Seeing  that  joy,  I  deemed 
myself  almost  a  brute  to  have  ever  tried  to 
drive  him  away  from  me,  although  I  had 
endeavoured  to  do  so  as  much  for  his  own 
safety  as  my  own.  He  laughed  and  mut- 
tered little  pleased  expressions  in  Spanish 
which  I  neither  understood  nor  am  capable 
of  setting  down  here  ;  almost  I  thought  he 
would  have  flung  his  arms  around  my  neck 
and  embraced  me.  Indeed,  it  seemed  as 
though  he  were  about  to  do  so,  but,  sud- 
denly recollecting  himself,  desisted  —  per- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  183 

haps  because  he  knew  that  to  us  English 
such  demonstrations  were  not  palatable. 

And  now  I  have  to  tell  how  Sir  George 
placed  no  obstruction  in  the  way,  allowing 
him  to  go  ashore  with  me;  yet,  when  he 
heard  that  we  were  to  travel  together  the 
look  upon  his  face  was  one  of  extreme 
gravity,  almost  of  sternness.  Also,  he 
maintained  a  deep  silence  for  a  moment  or 
two  after  I  had  told  him  such  was  to  be  the 
case,  and  sat  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  me  as 
though  he  were  endeavouring  to  read  my 
very  inmost  thoughts.  But  at  last  he  said 
quietly,  and  with  even  more  than  usual  of 
that  reserve  which  characterised  him  : 

"  You  have  found  out  nothing  about  this 
young  man  yet,  Mr.  Crespin,  then?  —  know 
nothing  more  about  him  than  you  have 
known  from  the  first?  Um?" 

44 1  know  nothing  more,  sir." 

Again  he  paused  awhile,  then  spoke  once 
more,  with  the  slightest  perceptible  shrug 
of  his  shoulders  as  he  did  so : 

"Very  well.  'T  is  your  affair,  not 
mine.  You  are  not  under  my  command, 
but  that  of  the  Earl  of  Marlborough.  You 
must  do  as  seems  best  to  you.  Yet  have  a 
care  what  you  are  about."  Then  he  leant 
forward  toward  me,  and  said  :  "  Mr.  Cres- 
pin, you  have  done  extremely  well  —  have 


184  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

gained  a  high  place  in  our  esteem.  When 
his  Lordship  reads  what  the  Duke  of 
Ormond  and  myself  have  to  say  about 
you,  you  will  find  your  promotion  very 
rapid,  I  think.  Do  not,  I  beseech  of  you  — 
do  not  imperil  it  in  any  way ;  do  not  be 
led  away  into  jeopardising  the  bright 
future,  the  ^brilliant  career,  that  is  before 
you.  Run  on  no  rock,  avoid  every  shoal 
that  may  avert  your  successful  course." 

"  Sir,"  said,  "  I  am  a  soldier  with  many 
unknown  dangers  before  me.  This  boy  can 
add  nothing  to  their  number.  Yet,  sir,  for 
your  gracious  consideration  for  me  I  am 
deeply  grateful." 

Still  he  regarded  me,  saying  nothing  for 
a  moment  or  so,  then  spoke  again : 

"  Dangers  !  "  he  said  —  "  the  dangers 
every  honest  soldier  or  sailor  encounters 
in  his  calling  are  nothing;  they  are  our 
portion ;  must  be  avoided,  if  may  be ;  if 
not,  must  be  accepted.  And  he  who  falls 
in  the  battle  has  naught  to  repine  at  —  at 
least  he  falls  honourably,  leaves  a  clean 
memory  behind." 

"Sir!" 

"But  there  are  other  dangers  that  are 
worse  than  shot,  or  steel  —  or  death  ! 
Many  a  brave  soldier  and  sailor  has  gone 
under  from  other  causes  than  these.  Mr. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   185 

Crespin,  I  say  no  more  —  have,  perhaps, 
said  too  much,  were  it  not  that  you  have 
strangely  interested  me."  Then, abruptly, 
he  went  on,  and  as  though  with  the  inten- 
tion of  forbidding  any  more  remarks  on 
that  subject :  "  Captain  Hardy  shall  be  in- 
structed to  send  you  both  ashore  on  the 
morning  after  we  go  out.  Here  are  some 
papers  from  the  duke  and  myself  to  the 
Earl  of  Marlborough.  Be  careful  of  them  ; 
they  relate  to  you  alone.  I  —  we  —  hope 
they  will  assist  you  to  go  far." 

I  bowed  and  murmured  my  thanks,  for 
which  he  observed  there  was  no  necessity 
whatever,  then  gave  me  his  hand  and  said : 

"Farewell,  Mr.  Crespin;  we  may  not 
meet  again.  I  wish  you  all  you  can  desire 
for  yourself.  Farewell." 

But  he  uttered  no  further  word  of  warn- 
ing of  any  kind,  and  so  let  me  go  away  from 
him  wondering  blindly  what  it  was  he  knew 
of  this  young  man;  wondering  above  all 
what  it  was  against  which  he  covertly  put 
me  on  my  guard. 

Later  on  —  though  not  for  some  time  to 

come  —  I  knew  and  understood. 

********** 

I  found  Juan — after  the  sails  of  the  boat 
from  the  Pembroke  had  faded  into  little 
white  specks  upon  the  surface  of  the  water, 


186  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

until  they  looked  no  bigger  than  the  flash 
made  by  seagull's  wing- — found  him  outside 
the  one  and  only  inn  of  this  small  town,  loll- 
ing against  the  doorpost  —  made  dirty  and 
greasy  with  the  shoulders  of  countless  Al- 
garvian  peasants — and  amusing  himself  by 
trying  to  make  a  group  of  ragged  children 
understand  the  pure  Spanish  he  was  speak- 
ing to  them. 

Then,  as  he  saw  me  crossing  the  filthy 
street,  he  came  over  to  meet  me  —  never 
heeding  the  splashing  of  mud  administered 
to  the  handsome  long  boots  which  he  had 
now  upon  his  legs,  though  he  was  dainty, 
too,  in  his  ways  —  and  began  telling  me  of 
what  arrangements  he  had  already  made 
for  our  journey. 

"First,  mio  amigo"  he  said,  joyously, 
"about  the  horses.  Two  are  already  in 
command.  One,  a  big  bony  creature  which 
is  for  you,  Mervan,  because  you  also  are 
big  and  stalwart,  and  require  something 
grand  to  carry  you — while  for  me  there  is 
a  j  ennet  with,  oh !  such  a  fiery  eye  and  a  way 
of  biting  at  everything  near  it.  But  have 
no  fear  !  Once  I  am  on  its  back,  and  por 
DiosI  it  will  do  as  I  want,  not  as  it  wants." 

I  laughed,  then  asked  if  these  animals 
were  to  be  our  own. 

"Oh,  yes,  our  own,"  he  said.     "Our 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  187 

very  own.  I  have  bought  them  —  they  are 
ours.  And,  if  they  break  down  —  yours,  I 
think,  must  surely  do  so — why,  we  will  turn 
them  loose  into  the  nearest  wood,  and — buy 
some  more." 

"At  this  rate  we  shall  spend  some  money 
ere  we  strike  Flanders,"  I  said. 

"Ho!  Hoi  Money  —  who  cares  for 
money  !  I  have  plenty,  enough  for  you  and 
me,  too.  We  will  travel  comfortably,  mon 
ami;  have  the  best  of  everything.  Plenty 
of  money,  and — and,  Mervan,  do  you  know, 
if  it  was  not  for  one  of  the  most  accursed 
villains  who  ever  trod  the  face  of  the  earth, 
I  should  be  so  rich  that  —  that  —  oh!  it  is 
impossible  to  say.  Mervan,"  catching  at 
my  arm  with  that  boyish  impetuosity  of  his 
which  ever  fascinated  me;  "you  are  Eng- 
lish, therefore  you  know  all  the  English,  I 
suppose.  In  Jamaica  and  Hispaniola  and 
all  the  other  islands  we  know  everybody. 
Mervan,  who  is,  or  where  is,  James  Eaton?" 

"James  Eaton!"  I  exclaimed,  with  a 
laugh  at  his  innocent  supposition  that  we 
were  all  acquainted  with  each  other  in  Eng- 
land as  they  are  in  the  Indies ;  yet  't  is  true 
that  he  could  not  know  that  our  capital  city 
alone  had  so  vast  and  incredible  a  popula- 
tion as  half  a  million  souls !  "  James  Eaton ! 
Who  and  what  is  he  ?  An  officer  ?  If  so, 


188  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

I  might,  perhaps,  know,  or  get  to  know, 
something-  of  him." 

"An  officer?  Oh!  yes,por  Dibs!  he  is  an 
officer — has  been  once.  But  not  such  as  you 
or  those  brave  ones  we  have  just  parted 
from.  An  officer.  Corpo  di  Bacco I  A  vil- 
lain, vagamundo,  Mervan — a  jlibustier — 
what  the  English  call  in  the  islands  a 
damned  pirate." 

"  Humph ! "  I  said.  "A  friend  of  yours  ? 
Eh,  Juan  ?  " 

"A  friend  of  mine?  Ho!  Yes.  Mon 
Dieul  He  is  a  friend.  Wait  —  when  we 
are  in  England  you  shall  see  how  much  I 
love  my  friend.  Oh,  yes  !  You  shall  see. 
When  I  take  him  by  his  beard  and  thrust 
this  through  his  black  heart,"  and  he 
touched  the  quillon  of  the  sword  by  his 
side  as  he  spoke. 

"And  is  he  the  villain  who  has  stolen 
your  wealth?"  I  asked,  as  we  entered  now 
the  door  of  the  inn,  I  nearly  falling  back- 
ward from  the  horrible  odours  which 
greeted  my  nostrils  when  we  did  so. 

"He  is  the  villain.  Oh!  'tis  a  story. 
Such  a  story.  You  shall  hear.  But  not 
now — not  now.  Now  we  will  eat  and  drink 
and  be  gay." 

"But,"  I  said,  my  curiosity  much 
aroused,  "  if  he  has  stolen  your  wealth  how 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  189 

comes  it  you  are  rich,  as  you  say?  Have 
you  two  fortunes — two  sources  of  wealth  ?" 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  with  his  bright,  sweet 
smile.  "Two  fortunes  —  the  one  he  stole, 
the  other — but  no  matter  for  fortunes  now. 
I  have  enough  and  plenty  for  myself — and, 
Mervan,  for  you  if  you  want  it.  Plenty." 

"  I,  too,  have  enough  for  present  wants," 
I  said.  "  Quite  enough." 

" Bueno.  Bueno"  he  said.  "Then  all 
is  well.  And  now  to  eat,  drink  and  be  gay 
until  to-morrow.  Then  away,  away,  away  to 
Flanders  —  anywhere,  so  long  as  we  are 
together.  Joy  to-day,  work  and  travel  to- 
morrow. But,  Mervan,"  and  once  more  he 
placed  his  hand  supplicatingly  on  my  arm. 
"Forgive.  Forgive  me.  I — I  have  brought 
the  viol  d'amore." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
"IT  is  WAR  TIME!    IF  IT  MUST  BE,  IT  MUST." 

We  were  English  gentlemen  furnished 
with  passports  to  enable  us  to  travel 
through  Spain — which  might  not  be  diffi- 
cult, since  there  were  likely  to  be  as  many 
English  troops  in  that  country  as  there 
were  French,  while  one-half  of  the  inhab- 
itants wavered  in  their  espousals  of  either 
us  and  Austria  or  Louis  and  Philip. 

That,  at  least,  was  what  we  meant  to  give 
out  if  any  one  in  Portugal  —  and  in  Viana 
especially  —  should  make  it  their  business 
to  ask  us  any  questions,  which,  however, 
was  not  very  likely  to  be  the  case ;  for,  in 
this  miserable  hole  —  and  miserable  it  was 
beyond  all  thought  — there  were  none  who 
could  have  any  possible  right  to  so  ask  us 
of  our  affairs,  there  being  no  consul  of  any 
country  whatever  in  the  place  —  and,  for 
the  rest,  we  were  English.  That  was 
enough  ;  we  were  •  English,  come  ashore 
from  that  great  fleet  whose  deeds  of  the 
last  few  weeks  had  spread  consternation  for 
leagues  around  and  on  either  side  of  Vigo, 

19Q 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  191 

and  whose  topmasts  were  now  very  plainly 
visible  a  mile  or  so  out  from  the  shore ; 
topsails,  too,  which  would  be  conspicuous 
enough  to  all  in  Viana  for  another  day  or 
so,  until  the  scouts  returned  with  their 
news  ;  and  before  this  fleet  had  disappeared 
we  should  be  gone,  too  —  on  our  road  to 
Spain,  to  France,  to  Flanders. 

That  road  was  already  decided  on  —  we 
were  poring-  over  the  chart  now  upstairs  in 
the  sleeping1  room  Juan  had  secured  for  me, 
he  having-  another  one  for  himself  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  corridor  —  poring-  over 
it  by  the  light  of  an  oil  lamp  and  the  flames 
cast  by  a  bright  cork-wood  fire  which  we 
had  caused  to  be  lit,  since  'twas  already 
very  cold,  it  being  now  November. 

We  had  resolved,  however,  thatithe  great 
high  road  to  France  would  not  be  the  very 
best,  perhaps,  for  our  purpose  —  the  road 
which,  passing  through  Portugal  into  Spain 
at  Miranda  and  Tuy,  runs  through  Valla- 
dolid  and  Burgos  up  to  Bayonne  and  France, 
for  these  towns  were  in  the  kingdoms  of 
Leon  and  Castile,  and  here  all  were,  we 
learnt,  for  Philip  and  France  ;  but  we  knew 
also  that  with  other  parts  of  Spain  it  was 
no  so.  Away  on  the  eastern  shores,  Cat- 
alonia and  Valencia  had  declared  for  Charles 
of  Austria  and  the  allies.  Nearer  to  where 


192  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

we  were,  namely,  in  Galicia,  above  Portu- 
gal, they  wavered.  Yet 't  was  said  now  that 
they  inclined  toward  us,  perhaps  because 
Vigo  is  in  Galicia  and,  therefore,  they  had 
had  a  taste  of  how  we  could  be  either  good 
friend  or  fateful  foe.  Certainly  we  had 
shown  we  could  well  be  the  latter  ! 

"  Yes,"  I  said  to  Juan,  my  finger  on  the 
chart ;  "  this  way  will  be  our  road.  Across 
the  frontier  where  the  Minho  divides  the 
two  countries,  then  up  its  banks  to  Lugo, 
and  so  through  the  Asturias  to  Biscay  and 
Bayonne.  That  is  our  way,  and,  after  all, 
'tis  not  much  farther  than  t'other.  And 
safer,  too.  If  Galicia  leans  to  us,  so  may 
the  Asturians.  If  not,  we  shall  be  no  worse 
off  than  if  we  traversed  Leon,  Castile  and 
Navarre." 

"  Vogue  la  galtrel  "  cried  the  boy,  who 
generally  varied  his  exclamations  from 
Spanish  to  French  and  French  to  English 

—  whichever  came    uppermost  —  "I   care 
nothing.    We  shall  be  together,  mio  amigo; 
that 's  enough  for  me." 

"Together  for  a  time,"  I  put  in;  "for 
a  time.  Remember,  once  we  reach  Flan- 
ders—  if  we  ever  do  —  which  is  more  than 
doubtful — my  service  claims  me.  'T  is 
war  there,  hard  knocks  and  buffets  for  me 

—  for  you  the  first  sloop  or  vessel  of  any 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  193 

sort  that  will  run  you  over  to  the  English 
coast." 

"Oh,  la,  la!  "  said  Juan,  "  't  is  not  come 
yet.  We  have  a  month,  at  least,  together, 
and  perhaps  even  then  we  will  not  part. 
This  great  soldier,  this  fierce  captain  you 
speak  of,  this  English  lord  who  contends 
with  France  —  perhaps  he  will  let  me  fight 
too.  Give  me  —  what  is  it  you  call  it  ?  —  a 
pair  of  colours.  Then  we  could  fight  side 
by  side,  Mervan,  could  we  not  ?  " 

I  nodded  and  muttered:  "Perhaps," 
though  in  truth  I  thought  nothing  was  more 
unlikely.  In  some  way  I  had  come  to  have 
none  too  great  an  opinion  of  the  youth's 
courage  or  capacity  for  fighting,  remem- 
bering how  he  had  paled,  nay,  almost  shud- 
dered, at  the  sight  of  those  poor  dead  ones 
floating  in  Vigo  harbour ;  while  for  the 
"pair  of  colours  " — well,  there  was  plenty  of 
interest  being  made  on  all  sides  by  those  of 
influence  in  England  to  obtain  such  things 
for  their  own  kith  and  kin.  There  would 
be  mighty  little  chance  for  this  young 
stripling  to  be  received  into  any  regiment. 
Therefore  I  went  on  with  our  plans,  say- 
ing, as  I  still  glanced  at  the  chart : 

"That  must  be  the  road.  And  from 
Lugo  across  the  mountains  to  Baos,  then  to 


194  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Elcampo,  and  so  to  Bilbao  up  to  Bayonne. 
That  is  the  way." 

"To  Lugo,  "he  repeated,  meditatively. 
"To  Lugo.  Humph!  To  Lugo.  That  is 
the  way  they  went,  you  know  —  Chateau- 
renault  and  his  captains  —  when  they  fled 
from  you." 

Now  I  started  when  he  said  this,  for  I 
had,  indeed,  forgotten  the  slight  rumour  I 
had  heard  to  that  effect — forgotten  it  amidst 
all  the  excitement  of  the  stirring  times  that 
had  followed  the  battle  and  the  taking  of 
the  galleons.  Yet  now  the  fact  was  re- 
called to  my  mind,  I  did  not  let  it  alter  my 
determination,  and  after  a  moment's  re- 
flection, I  said : 

"Still  it  matters  not.  They  will  not 
have  gone  that  way  for  the  same  reason 
that  we  shall  go  it.  On  their  road  to  France ! 
Chateaurenault  will  not  stay  there,  but 
rather  push  on  to  Paris  to  give  an  account 
of  his  defeat  —  make  the  best  excuses  he 
can  to  his  master.  Nor  will  he  come  back 
—  an  he  does,  he  will  find  nothing  here. 
His  ships  are  sunk  or  being  carried  to  Eng- 
land, and  't  is  so  with  the  galleons  that  are 
not  themselves  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean. 
'T  is  very  well.  To-morrow  we  set  out  for 
Lugo,  take  the  first  step  on  our  road." 

And  on  the  morrow  we  did  set  out  — 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  195 

amidst,  perhaps,  as  disagreeable  circum- 
stances as  could  be  the  case. 

For  when  we  rose  early  the  snow  was 
falling-  in  thick  flakes;  also  'twas  driven 
into  our  faces  by  a  stiff  northeasterly  wind 
which  brought  it  down  from  the  Cantabrian 
mountains,  and  soon  our  breasts  were  cov- 
ered with  a  layer  of  it  which  we  had  much 
ado  to  prevent  from  freezing  on  them,  and 
could  only  accomplish  by  frequent  buffets. 
Yet  we  were  not  cold,  neither,  since  our 
horses  were  still  able  to  trot  beneath  it  — 
for  as  yet  it  lay  not  upon  the  roads,  and 
we  could  thus  keep  ourselves  warm.  Yet, 
withal,  we  made  some  ten  leagues  that  day 

—  the  animals  under  us  proving  far  better 
than  might  with  reason  have  been  expected, 
judging  by  their  lean  and  sorry  appearance 

—  and  arrived  ere  nightfall  at  a  small  vil- 
lage—  yet  walled  and  fortified,  because  it 
lies  close  on  to  the  Spanish  frontier — called 
Valenza.     And  here  we  rested  for  the  night, 
finding,  however,  at  first  great  difficulty  in 
being  permitted  to  get  into  it,  and,  next,  an 
equal  trouble  in  obtaining  lodgings  in  the 
one  inn  of  the  place. 

Also  we  learnt  that  it  behooved  us  to  be 
very  careful  when  we  set  out  next  day,  or 
we  might  find  it  impossible  to  enter  Spain, 
which  now  lay  close  at  hand,  and  separated 


196  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

only  by  the  Minho  from  this  place;  or,  being 
in,  might  find  it  hard  to  go  forward. 

"For,"  said  the  host,  a  filthy,  unkempt 
creature  who  looked  as  though  he  were 
more  accustomed  to  attending  to  cattle  in 
their  sheds  than  to  human  beings,  but  who 
by  great  good  fortune  was  able  to  speak 
broken  French,  "atTuy,  where  you  must 
pass  into  Spain,  they  are  rigourous  now  as  to 
papers,  letting  none  enter  who  are  not  prop- 
erly provided.  Basto  !  't  is  not  a  week  ago 
that  one  went  forward  who  was  passed 
through  with  difficulty.  And  a  Spaniard, 
too,  though  from  the  Indies." 

"From  the  Indies!"  exclaimed  Juan, 
with  impetuosity.  "From  the  Indies! 
Why,  so  am  I  and  —  and  this  senor,"  look- 
ing at  me,  "  both  from  the  Indies.  There- 
fore, we  can  pass  also,  I  should  suppose." 

"Oh,  for  that,"  answered  the  man,  "I 
know  not.  Yet  this  old  man  went  through, 
somehow.  He  had  come  up  from  the 
south — from  Cadiz,  as  I  think,  or  Cartagena, 
or  the  Sierras  —  in  a  great  coach  and  four, 
travelled  as  a  prince,  had  good  provisions 
with  him,  and  ho!  —  he  gave  me  to  taste 
of  it !  —  some  strong  waters  that  made  me 
feel  like  a  prince,  too,  though  the  good 
God  knows  I  am  none ! "  and  he  cast  his 
eyes  round  the  filthy  room  into  which  we 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  197 

had  been  shown.  "Also,  he  had  his  papers 
all  regular;  also,"  and  here  he  gave  a 
glance  at  us  of  unspeakable  cunning,  "he 
was  generous  and  open-handed.  That 
spared  him  much  trouble." 

"  Perhaps  't  will  spare  us,  too  ! "  again 
exclaimed  Juan.  "We  can  also  be  gener- 
ous and  open-handed." 

"  It  will  do  much.  Yet  the  papers  !  The 
papers  !  Have  you  the  papers  ?  " 

Now,  we  had  no  papers  whatsoever  that 
would  stand  us  in  such  stead ;  therefore, 
when  we  were  alone  together  in  the  room 
which  was  to  be  ours,  and  in  which  there 
were  two  miserable,  dirty-looking  beds, 
side  by  side,  covered  with  sheepskins  for 
coverlets  —  and  perhaps  for  blankets,  too  ! 
— we  fell  to  discussing  what  must  be  done ; 
for  it  was  at  once  plain  and  easy  to  see  that 
at  Tuy  we  should  never  get  through.  I 
had  no  papers  nor  passports  whatever, 
while  Juan  bore  about  him  only  those  which 
proved  that  he  was  a  subject  of  England. 

"Yet,"  said  he,  "they  knew  not  that 
on  board  La  Sacra  Familia,  and,  because 
I  could  speak  Spanish  as  well  as  they, 
deemed  me  a  Spaniard.  I  wonder  if  I  could 
get  through  that  way." 

"  You  might,  possibly,"  I  replied.  "I 
am  sure  I  never  should.  The  Spanish 


198  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

which  I  know  is  scarce  good  enough  for 
that." 

" 'T  is  true,"  he  said,  reflectively  — 
"true  enough.  Yet,  you  have  the  French. 
See,  Mervan,  here  is  an  idea.  I  am  a  Span- 
iard and  you  are  a  Frenchman,  for  the  mo- 
ment. Both  countries  are  sworn  friends 
now  as  regards  their  government,  if  not 
their  people.  Why  should  not  we  be  trav- 
elling together  as  natives  of  those  lands  ?  " 

"An  we  were,"  I  answered,  "we 
should  not  be  without  passports.  Remem- 
ber, we  come  to  them  from  Portugal; 
therefore,  to  have  gotten  into  Portugal  as 
either  Spanish  man  or  Frenchman,  we 
should  have  wanted  papers ;  and  we  have 
none.  Consequently,  the  first  question 
asked  us  will  be,  How  got  we  into  Portugal? 
Then  what  reply  shall  we  make  ?  That  we 
came  from  the  English  fleet,  which  has  just 
destroyed  their  galleons  ?  That  will  scarce 
do,  Juan,  for  our  purpose,  I  think." 

Acknowledging  such  to  be  the  case,  Juan 
sat  himself  down  on  the  dirty  bed  and  be- 
gan to  ponder. 

"At  least  we  will  not  be  whipped,"  he 
muttered,  "and  at  the  outset,  too.  Mervan, 
we  must  find  another  road  somehow,  or, 
better  still  —  there  must  be  some  part  of 
the  frontier  which  runs  the  northern  length 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  199 

of  this  miserable  land,  and  which  is  un- 
guarded. Can  we  not  get  across  without 
any  road?  Up  one  side  of  a  mountain  and 
down  another,  and  so  —  into  Spain!  " 

"  'T  is  that  I  have  thought  of.  Yet  there 
are  the  horses — also  a  river  to  cross.  And, 
as  luck  will  have  it,  the  mountains  here- 
abouts are  none  too  high  nor  dense  with 
woods,  nor  do  they  run  from  east  to  west, 
but  rather  south  and  north.  Such  as  there 
are,  you  can  see  from  this  window,"  and  I 
pointed  in  the  swift,  on-coming-  darkness  of 
the  November  evening-  to  where  they  could 
be  seen  across  the  river,  their  summits  low, 
and  over  them  a  rusty  rime-blurred  moon 
rising". 

Then  I  went  on : 

"Juan,  we  must  tempt  the  landlord  with 
some  of  that  largesse  which  the  old  man  who 
came  in  the  coach  seems  to  have  distributed 
so  lavishly — only,  he  has  bestowed  it  on  the 
Spanish  side — ours  must  begin  here.  Come, 
let  us  go  and  see  what  can  be  done  with  him." 

"  But  what  to  do?  "  the  boy  said,  looking 
at  me  with  his  strange  eyes  full  of  intelli- 
gence and  perhaps  anxiety. 

"This:  there  must  be  some  way  of  trav- 
ersing the  river  when  there  is  no  town  on 
either  side — if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst 
we  could  swim  it  on  our  horses  at  night." 


200  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"On  such  a  night  as  this!"  exclaimed 
Juan,  shuddering  and  glancing1  out  through 
the  uncurtained  window  at  the  flakes  of 
snow  which  still  fell.  "It  would  be  death," 
he  whispered,  shuddering-  again. 

"  You  are  easily  appalled,"  I  said,  speak- 
ing coldly  to  him  for  the  first  time  since  our 
acquaintance.  "Yet,  remember,  I  warned 
you  of  what  you  might  expect  in  such  an 
expedition  as  this.  You  would  have  done 
better  to  accept  the  admiral's  offer.  A 
cabin  in  the  Pembroke  would  have  been  a 
lady's  withdrawing  room  in  contrast  to 
what  we  may  have  to  encounter." 

"  Forgive  me.  Forgive,"  he  hastened  to 
say  pleadingly.  "Indeed,  indeed,  Mervan, 
I  am  bold  and  no  coward  —  but,  remember, 
I  am  of  the  tropic  south,  and  't  is  the  cold 
of  the  river  that  appalls  me — not  fear  for 
my  life.  Like  many  of  our  clime,  I  can 
sooner  face  death  than  discomfort." 

"  There  will  be  enough  facing  of  both  ere 
we  have  done  — that  is,  if  we  ever  get  far- 
ther than  here,"  I  said,  almost  contemp- 
tuously. 

"So  be  it,"  he  exclaimed,  springing  to 
his  feet  and  evidently  bitterly  hurt  by  my 
tone.  Indeed,  't  was  very  evident  he  was, 
since  the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes.  "So  be 
it.  We  face  it !  Now,"  and  he  rapped  the 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  201 

table  between  us  as  though  to  emphasise 
his  words,  "continue your  plans,  make  your 
suggestions,  bid  me  swim  rivers,  cross 
mountains,  plunge  into  icy  streams  or  burn- 
ing houses,  and  see  if  I  flinch  or  draw  back 
again.  Only  —  only," and  his  voice  sank  to 
its  usual  soft  tones,  "do  not  be  angry 
with  me." 

That  it  was  impossible  to  be  angry  with 
him  long  I  felt,  nor,  for  some  unexplained 
reason,  could  I  despise  him  for  his  evident 
objection  to  discomfort  —  the  discomfort 
which  would  arise  from  so  trifling  a  thing 
—  to  me,  a  cuirassier  —  as  swimming  one's 
horse  across  a  river  on  a  winter  night. 
And,  as  my  contempt,  such  as  it  was, 
vanished  at  once  at  his  plea  to  me  not  to  be 
angry  with  him,  I  exclaimed  : 

"At  worst  it  shall  be  made  as  light  for 
you  as  may  be,  since  you  are  only  a  boy 
after  all !  And  if  that  worst  comes,"  I  con- 
tinued, in  a  good  natured,  bantering  way, 
which  caused  the  tears  to  disappear  and  the 
smiles  to  return,  which  brought  back  to 
my  mind  a  song  my  good  old  father  used  to 
sing  about  "Sunshine  after  Rain " — "  if  that 
worst  comes,  why,  I  will  swim  the  river 
with  you  on  my  back,  and  your  jennet  shall 
swim  by  my  horse's  side.  Now,  for  the 
landlord  J " 


202  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

We  found  that  unclean  personage  a-sit- 
ting  over  a  fair  good  fire,  which  roared 
cheerfully  up  a  vast  open  chimney  from  the 
stone  floor  upon  which  the  logs  were,  with, 
by  his  side,  a  woman  who  was  blind,  as  we 
saw  very  quickly  when  she  turned  eyes  on 
us  which  were  naught  but  white  balls  with 
no  pupils  to  them.  And,  because  we  at 
once  perceived  that  there  was  no  power  of 
sight  in  those  dreadful  orbs,  I  made  no  more 
to  do,  but,  slipping  of  my  finger  into  my 
waistcoat  pocket,  pulled  out  two  great  gold 
doubloons — worth  more  than  our  guineas 
* — and  held  them  up  before  him.  Then  I 
said  in  French,  and  speaking  low,  because 
I  knew  not  whether  that  stricken  one  might 
understand  or  not : 

"See,  this  will  pay  our  addition  and 
more.  Now  listen.  You  may  equally  as 
well  have  them  as  the  guarda  frontira  at 
Tuy.  Will  you?" 

He  nodded,  grasping  the  pieces  —  I 
noticed  that  he  kept  them  from  clinking 
against  each  other,  perhaps  because  he 
wanted  not  his  wife  to  know  that  he  had 
gotten  them  —  then  put  each  into  a  different 
pocket,  and  said  :  "  She  understands  not  the 
French.  Speak." 

"  We  have  no  papers.  Listen  ;  we  are 
English  1  We  must  cross  into  Spain.  Tell 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  203 

us  some  other  road  ;  put  us  in  the  way,  and 

—  see  —  to-morrow  morning1,  these  are  for 
you  also." 

And  I  took  forth  two  more  of  the  golden 
coins. 

He  looked  at  us  a  moment,  then  said : 
"  You  —  hate  —  Spain  ?  " 

Again  I  nodded. 

"So  all  of  us  here  at  Valenza,"  he  went 
on.  "A  fierce,  cruel  neighbor,  would  tram- 
ple on  us  because  we  are  weak.  Will  seize 
us  yet  an  England  helps  not.  Crush  them 

—  and  France  —  the  world's  plague  I    Lis- 
ten ! " 

Then,  as  we  bent  our  heads,  he  went  on: 

"From  here  there  is  a  bye-road  leads  to 
the  river  bank ;  it  crosses  by  a  wooden 
bridge  into  Spain,  a  league  this  side  of  Mel- 
agasso.  I  will  put  you  in  the  way  in  the 
morning.  Once  over  that  bridge,  there  is 
a  road  cut  from  the  rock  that  mounts  two 
hundred  paces.  There  at  the  summit  is 
the  guarda  frontira.  Two  men  are  there, 
an  old  and  a  young  one.  Kill  them,  and 
you  are  through,  leaving  no  trace  behind. 
Afterward,  there  is  no  sign  of  life  for  three 
leagues." 

"  Kill  them  !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Must  that 
be  done  ?  " 

"Ay  —  or  silence  them.     But  —  killing 


204  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

is  best.  And  —  and  —  the  cliff  is  high,  the 
river  runs  deep  beneath.  Cast  them  in,  and 
you  are  safe." 

"  They  may  see  us  passing  the  bridge 
—  kill  us  ere  we  can  mount  the  road." 

"Do  it  in  the  night,"  the  fellow  whis- 
pered. "In  the  night,  when  all  is  dark. 
And  't  will  be  almost  nightfall  ere  you  are 
there.  Do  it  then." 

"  There  is  no  other  way,  no  other  en- 
trance to  Spain?" 

"  None  —  without  papers. " 

"  Good.  It  is  war  time  !  If  it  must  be, 
it  must." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"DRAW  SWORDS!  " 

Another  night  had  come — 't  was  already 
dark — and  Juan  and  I  sat  on  our  horses  in 
the  cork  wood,  at  the  end  of  which  we  could 
hear  the  Minho  swirling  along  beneath  the 
ramshackle  bridge  that  divided  Portugal 
from  Spain.  And,  as  good  fortune  would 
have  it,  there  was  on  this,  the  Portuguese 
side,  no  guarda  frontlra  whatever.  Per- 
haps that  poor,  impoverished  land  thought 
there  was  naught  to  guard  from  ingress, 
also  that  nothing  would  be  brought  from 
Spain  to  them.  The  traffic  set  all  the 
other  way ! 

Because  there  was  no  need  for  us  to  be 
too  soon  where  we  were  now;  indeed,  be- 
cause 't  was  not  well  that  we  should  be  here 
ere  nightfall,  the  landlord  had  not  awakened 
me  until  nine  in  the  morning.  And  then, 
on  his  doing  so,  I  perceived  that  the  other 
sheepskin-clad  bed  by  my  side  had  not  been 
occupied  at  all.  Wherefore  I  started  up 
in  some  considerable  fright,  calling  out  to 
him  through  the  door  to  know  where  was 

305 


206  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

my  friend,  the  young  senor,  whom  I  had 
left  warming  himself  at  the  great  fire  below 
over  night,  and  saying  that  he  would  follow 
me  to  bed  ere  long. 

"Oh  !  he  is  below,"  he  replied.  "Has 
passed  the  night  in  front  of  the  fire  wrapped 
in  his  cloak,  saying  that  't  was  there  alone 
he  could  keep  himself  from  death  by  the 
cold.  He  bids  me  tell  you  all  is  well  for 
your  journey,  the  horses  fresh;  also  there 
is  a  good  meal  awaiting  you";  whereon  I 
performed  my  ablutions,  hurried  on  my 
garments  and  rapidly  made  my  way  to  the 
public  room  below. 

"Juan,"  I  said,  "you  should  have 
warned  me  of  your  intention  of  remaining 
below.  This  is  not  good  campaigning,  nor 
comradeship.  Had  I  awakened  in  the  night 
and  found  you  missing,  I  should  have  de- 
scended to  seek  for  you,  fearing  that  dan- 
ger had  come  to  you,  and  't  is  not  well  for 
travellers  to  be  aroused  unnecessarily  from 
their  beds  on  winter  nights.  Also  we 
should  keep  always  together.  Soldiers  — 
and  you  have  to  be  one  now  !  —  on  danger- 
ous service  should  not  separate." 

"Forgive,"  he  said,  as,  it  seemed,  he 
was  always  saying  to  me,  and  uttering  the 
words  in  his  accustomed  soft,  pleading 
voice.  "Forgive.  But — oh!  Mervan!" 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  207 

pausing-  a  moment  as  though  seeking-  for 
some  excuse  for  having  deserted  me  for 
the  nig-ht  —  "  oh  !  Mervan !  that  bed  was  so 
— so  filthy  and  untempting-.  And  the  room 
so  cold,  when  without  fire.  And  it  was  so 
warm  here.  I  could  not  force  myself  to 
leave  this  room. 

Remembering-  what  he  had  said  about 
those  who  came  from  the  tropics  dreading 
cold  and  discomfort  even  more  than  death, 
I  thought  I  understood  how  he  should  have 
preferred  sleeping-  here  to  doing-  so  above. 
Therefore,  I  merely  said: 

"  There  might  be  worse  beds  than  that 
you  would  not  use  —  may  be  worse  for  us 
ere  long-.  Still,  no  matter.  You  slept  warm 
here  as  I  did  upstairs.  Yet  'tis  well  I  did 
not  waken.  Now  let  us  see  for  breakfast 
and  our  departure,"  and  giving-  a  glance  at 
the  landlord,  who  was  bringing  in  a  sort  of 
thick  soup  in  which  I  saw  many  dried  rai- 
sins floating-,  also  some  egg's  and  coarse 
black  bread,  as  well  as  some  chocolate  which 
smelt  mighty  good  and  diffused  a  pleasing 
aroma  through  the  room,  I  tapped  my  waist- 
coat pocket  to  remind  him  of  the  other 
doubloons  that  were  in  it.  And  he  nodded 
understandingly. 

The  journey  to  where  we  now  stood  this 
evening  was  as  uneventful  as  though  we 


208  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

had  been  traveling-  in  safety  in  our  own 
England.  The  road  into  which  the  man 
had  put  us  in  the  morning-  led  first  of  all 
through  countless  villages  —  I  have  since 
heard  that  in  all  Europe  there  is  no  land  so 
thickly  sown  with  villages  as  this  poor  one 
of  Portugal  —  then  trailed  off  into  a  dense 
chestnut-fringed  track  that  was  no  longer 
a  road  at  all. 

And  now  we  knew  that  we  were  close 
unto  the  spot  where  our  first  adventure  on 
the  journey,  that  we  hoped  might  at  last 
bring  us  to  Flanders,  must  of  necessity 
take  place.  We  were  but  half  an  hour's 
ride  from  the  crazy  bridge  the  man  had 
spoken  of  as  connecting  his  country  with 
Spain  —  the  bridge  on  the  other  side  of 
which  was  the  rocky  path,  with,  at  the  top 
of  it,  the  hut  in  which  we  should  find  two 
Spanish guardasfrontdras  armed  to  the  teeth 
and  prepared  to  bar  the  way  to  all  who 
could  not  show  their  right  to  pass. 

Yet  we  were  resolved  to  pass  —  or  leave 
our  bodies  there. 

"There  is,"  the  landlord  had  said,  "a 
holy  stone  at  the  spot  where  the  path  lead- 
ing to  the  bridge  enters  the  cork  wood. 
You  cannot  mistake  it.  Upon  that  stone  is 
graven  the  Figure,  beneath  it  an  arrow 
pointing  the  way  to  Melagasso.  Your  path 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  209 

lies  to  the  left  and  thus  to  the  bridge.  God 
keep  you." 

We  left  that  stone  as  he  had  directed, 
with  one  swift  glance  upward  at  those 
blessed  features  —  I  noticing- Juan  crossed 
himself  devoutly  —  slowly  over  fallen  leaves 
that  lay  sodden  on  the  earth  beneath  their 
mantle  of  snow,  and  over  dried  branches 
blown  to  the  earth,  our  horses  trod.  And 
so  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  pursued  our 
way,  while  still  the  night  came  on  swifter 
and  swifter  until,  at  last,  we  could  scarce 
see  each  other's  forms  beneath  the  thick 
foliage  above  our  heads. 

Yet  we  heard  now  that  swirling,  rush- 
ing river  —  heard  its  murmur  as  it  swept 
past  its  banks,  and  its  deep  swish  as  it 
rolled  over  what  was  doubtless  some  great 
boulder  stone  out  in  the  stream  —  heard, 
too,  its  hum  as  it  glided  by  the  supports  of 
the  bridge  that  we  knew  was  before  us. 
Also,  we  saw  above  our  heads  a  light 
gleaming — a  light  that  we  knew  must  come 
from  the  frontiermen's  house. 

And  we  had  to  steal  up  to  where  that 
light  twinkled  brightly,  in  what  was  now  the 
clear,  frosty  air,  since  the  snow  had  ceased 
—  indeed,  had  not  fallen  all  day  —  and  all 
was  clear  overhead ;  to  steal  up,  and  then, 
if  might  be,  make  our  hasty  rush  past  on 


210  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

our  horses'  backs,  or  stay  to  cross  steel 
and  exchange  ball  with  those  who  barred 
our  way. 

"  Forward  to  the  bridge  !  "  I  whispered 
to  Juan,  fearing-  that  even  from  where  we 
were  my  voice  might  be  borne  on  the  clear 
night  air  up  to  that  height.  "  Loosen,  also, 
your  blade  in  its  sheath  !  And  your  pis- 
tols, too  —  are  they  well  primed?  " 

"Yes,"  he  whispered  back,  his  voice 
soft  and  low  as  a  woman's  when  she  mur- 
murs acknowledgment  of  her  love.  "Yes." 

"  You  do  not  fear  ?" 

"I  fear  nothing  —  we  are  together," 
and,  as  he  spoke,  I  felt  the  long,  slim, 
gloved  hand  touch  mine. 

A  moment  later  we  had  left  the  shadow 
of  the  wood ;  we  stood  above  the  sloping 
bank  of  the  river  rushing  by ;  another 
moment  and  our  horses'  feet  would  be 
upon  the  wooden  bridge  —  its  creaking 
quite  apparent  to  our  ears  as  the  stream 
swept  under  it. 

"  'T  is  God's  mercy,  "  I  whispered 
again  to  him,  "that  the  river  is  so  brawl- 
ing ;  otherwise  the  horses'  hoofs  upon 
these  boards  would  be  heard  as  plain  as 
a  musket's  roar.  Ha !  I  had  forgotten ! " 

"Forgotten  what,  Mervan?  "  the  gentle 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  211 

voice  of  Juan  whispered  back.  "Forgot- 
ten what  ?  " 

"If  they  should  neigh  !  If  there  should 
be  any  of  their  kind  up  there !  "  and  as  I 
spoke,  as  the  thought  came  to  me,  I  felt  as 
though  I  myself  feared. 

"  Pray  God  they  do  not ;  yet,  if  they 
do,  it  must  be  borne."  And  now  I  noticed 
his  voice  was  as  firm  as  though  he  had  ex- 
perienced a  hundred  such  risks  as  this  we 
were  running.  Then  he  added  :  "  The  In- 
dians muffle  theirs  with  their  scrapes  when 
they  draw  near  a  foe.  Shall  we  do  that?  " 

"  No,  "I  answered,  "  't  is  too  late.  Let 's 
on.  Yet,  remember,  at  the  slowest  pace. 
Thus  their  hoofs  will  fall  lighter."  And 
again  I  exclaimed  :  "  Thank  God,  the  river 
drowns  their  clatter  ! " 

Yet,  a  moment  later,  and  I  had  cause  for 
further  rejoicing.  From  above  where  that 
light  twinkled  there  came  a  sound  of  singing 
—  a  rich,  full  voice  a-trolling  of  a  song,  with 
another  voice  joining  in. 

Or  was  there  more  than  one  voice  joining 
in?  If  so,  we  might  have  more  than  the 
old  man  and  the  young  one,  of  whom  the 
landlord  had  spoken,  to  encounter.  Almost 
directly  Juan  confirmed  my  dread. 

"There  are  half  a  dozen  there,"  he  said, 


212  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

very  calmly.  "I  know  enough  of  music  to 
recognise  that.  What  to  do  now  ?  " 

"  To  go  on,"  I  answered.  "  See,  we  are 
across  the  bridge  —  there  is  the  road  —  in 
another  moment  we  shall  be  ascending  the 
path.  Praise  heaven,  we  can  ride  abreast." 
And  in  that  other  moment  we  were  riding 
abreast  slowly  up  that  path,  the  snow  that 
lay  on  it  deadening  now  the  sound  of  the 
horses'  hoofs,  while  the  voices  within  helped 
also  to  silence  them. 

"I  know  the  song,"  Juan  whispered  — 
and  I  marvelled  at  his  calmness  —  his  1  the 
youth's  who  had  been  so  nervous  when 
there  was  naught  to  fear,  yet  who  now, 
when  danger  was  close  upon  him,  seemed  to 
fear  nothing  —  "  have  sung  it  myself.  'T  is 
4 The  Cid's  Wedding.'" 

'"Twill  not  be  songs  about  weddings 
that  they  will  be  engaged  on,"  I  said,  "if 
any  come  out  of  that  hut  during  the  next 
ten  minutes;  but  rather  screeches  of  death 
—  from  us  or  them.  Have  your  sword 
ready,  Juan,  also  your  pistols." 

"  They  are  ready, "  he  said.  "  Yet  what 
to  do  ?  Suppose  any  come  forth  ere  we  are 
past  the  door,  over  the  frontier.  Am  I  to 
ride  straight  through  them  —  are  we  to 
do  so?" 

"Ay.     Sit  well   down  in    your  saddle, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  213 

give  your  nag  his  head,  and  —  if  any  man 
impedes  your  way,  stand  up  in  your  stir- 
rups, cut  down  straight  at  him,  or,  if  yours 
is  not  a  cutting  sword,  thrust  straight  at 
the  breast  of  — Hal" 

My  exclamation  —  still  under  my  breath, 
since  my  caution  did  not  desert  me  —  was 
caused  by  what  now  met  our  eyes,  namely, 
the  opening  of  some  door  giving  on  to  the 
road  in  front  of  where  the  frontier  cabin 
stood ;  the  gleaming  forth  into  that  road 
of  a  stream  of  light,  and  then  the  coming 
out  from  the  hut  and  the  mingling  of  some 
four  or  five  figures  of  men  in  the  glare. 

Now,  when  this  happened,  we  had  pro- 
gressed up  the  hillside  road  two-thirds 
of  the  way,  so  that  we  were  not  more  than 
seventy  paces,  if  as  much,  from  where 
those  people  were ;  yet,  as  I  calculated, 
even  at  this  nearness  to  them,  we  might 
still,  if  all  went  well,  escape  discovery. 
For  we  were  under  the  shelter  of  the  shelv- 
ing rock  which  reared  itself  to  our  left 
hands,  and  not  out  in  the  middle  of  the  road, 
which  was  here  somewhat  broad ;  and, 
therefore,  to  the  darkness  of  the  night  was 
added  the  still  deeper  darkness  of  the 
rock's  obscurity.  And,  I  reflected,  't  was 
scarce  likely  any  would  be  coming  our  way 
from  this  party,  which  was  evidently 


214  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

breaking-  up,  since  the  Portuguese  and 
Spaniards  did  not,  I  thought,  fraternise 
very  much.  'T  was  not  very  probable 
any  would  be  returning-  our  way.  Conse- 
quently, I  deemed  that  we  were  safe,  or 
almost  so ;  that,  soon,  some  of  those  in 
the  road  would  take  themselves  off,  and 
would  leave  behind  in  the  hut  none  but  the 
old  man  and  the  young-  man  of  whom  the 
landlord  had  spoken.  Nay,  more,  a  glance 
down  the  road  in  the  direction  of  where  we 
were  would,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
reveal  nothing-  of  our  whereabouts.  And 
I  conveyed  as  much  to  Juan  by  a  pressure 
of  my  hand,  yet  leaning  forward,  too,  over 
to  his  side  and  whispering : 

"All  the  same,  be  ready.  It  may  come 
to  a  rush.  If  one  of  our  horses  neighs  or 
shakes  itself  —  so  much  as  paws  the  earth 
—  if  a  bridle  jangles  —  we  are  discov- 
ered." 

And  a  glance  from  those  bright  eyes  — 
I  protest,  I  saw  them  glisten  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  starlit  night !  —  told  me  that 
he  had  heard  and  understood.  Told  me, 
also,  that  he  was  ready.  After  that  —  after 
those  whispered  words  of  mine,  that  re- 
sponsive glance  of  his —  we  sat  as  still  as 
statues  on  our  steeds,  hardly  allowing  our 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  215 

breath  to  issue  from  our  lung's  —  watching- 
—  watching-  those  fig-ures. 

"  God  1  would  they  never  separate  ? 
Would  not  some  depart  and  the  others  re- 
tire into  the  cabin  and  shut  the  door  against 
the  cold  wintry  nig-ht?  Offer  us  the  op- 
portunity to  make  one  turn  of  the  wrist  on 
our  reins,  give  one  pressure  of  our  knees 
to  the  animals'  flanks  and  dash  up  the  re- 
mains of  the  ascent  and  past  the  hut  ere 
those  within  could  rush  out  and  send  a  bul- 
let after  us  from  fusil,  gun  or  musketoon? 

At  last  they  g-ave  signs  of  parting-  —  we 
heard  the  buenas  noches  and  the  adios  issu- 
ing- from  those  Spanish  throats  ;  we  saw 
two  of  the  men  —  their  forms  blurred  and 
magnified  in  the  outstreaming-  rays  of  the 
lamp  — clasp  each  other's  hands ;  we  knew 
that  they  were  saying-  farewell  to  one  an- 
other. And  then  —  curse  the  buffoon!  — 
and  then,  when  they  had  even  parted  and 
two  had  turned  toward  the  door  to  re-enter, 
and  the  others  had  taken  their  first  steps 
upon  the  road  forward  —  then,  I  say,  one  of 
these  latter  turned  back,  made  signs  to 
all  the  others,  and,  when  he  had  fixed  their 
attention,  began  to  dance  and  caper  about 
in  the  road,  imitating  for  the  benefit  of  his 
friends,  as  I  supposed,  some  dance  or 
dancer  he  had  lately  seen. 


216  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

From  the  lips  of  my  doubtless  high- 
strung1  companion  there  came  a  long-drawn 
breath ;  almost  I  could  have  sworn  I  heard 
the  soft  murmur  of  a  smothered  Spanish 
oath;  and  then  once  more  those  whom  we 
watched  parted  from  each  other  —  the  buf- 
foonery was  over,  the  imitation,  if  it  was 
such,  finished.  Again,  with  laughs  and 
jokes,  they  broke  up  and  separated. 

"  Our  chance  is  at  hand,  at  last ! "  I 
whispered. 

Was  it? 

The  others — those  going  away — had  dis- 
appeared round  a  bend  of  both  rock  and  road; 
the  two  left  behind  were  retiring  into  their 
house  when,  suddenly,  the  last  one  stopped, 
paused  a  moment,  put  up  his  hand  to  his 
head  as  though  endeavouring  to  recall  some- 
thing, then  put  out  his  other  hand,  seemed 
to  grasp  a  lantern  from  inside  the  door,  and, 
slowly,  began  a  moment  later  to  descend  the 
road  where  we  sat  our  steeds. 

And  now  we  were  discovered  beyond  all 
doubt ;  in  a  moment  or  so  he  would  perceive 
us ;  another,  and  he  would  challenge  us ; 
would  shout  back  to  his  comrade  in  the  hut 
—  perhaps  call  loud  enough  to  attract  the 
attention  of  his  departing  friends.  We 
should  be  shot  down,  our  horses  probably 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   217 

hamstrung-,  we  brought  to  earth,  prisoners 
or  dead. 

"Swords  out!"  I  said  to  Juan,  "and 
advance.  Quick,  put  your  horse  to  the 
canter  at  once;  ride  past  him — over  him  if 
need  be." 

A  moment  later  and  we  had  flashed  by 
the  astonished  man,  the  jennet  that  bore 
Juan  spring-ing-  up  the  hill  like  a  cat,  my 
own  bony  but  muscular  steed  along-side ; 
behind  us  we  heard  his  roars ;  an  instant 
after  the  ping-  of  a  bullet  whistled  by  my  ears, 
fired  at  us  by  the  other  one  in  the  hut  as  we 
advanced  ;  another  moment  and  he  was  out 
in  the  road,  endeavouring  to  swing-  a  wooden 
gate,  that  hung  on  hinges  attached  to  the 
cabin,  across  the  road.  Also,  which  was 
worst  of  all,  we  heard  answering  calls  from 
the  men  who  had  gone  on  ahead — tram- 
plings  and  shouts  —  we  knew  that  they 
were  coming  back  to  help. 

But  we  were  at  the  gate  now,  and  still  it 
was  not  shut,  there  wanted  yet  another 
yard  or  so  ere  its  catch  would  meet  the 
socket  post,  and,  shifting  my  reins  into  my 
sword  hand,  I  seized  its  top  bar,  endeavour- 
ing to  bear  it  back  by  the  combined  weight 
of  my  horse  and  myself  upon  the  man  striv- 
ing to  shut  it. 

Then  I  heard  the  fellow  at  the  gate  call 


218  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

out  something1  of  which  I  understood  no 
word,  heard  Juan  give  a  reply  with  — who 
would  have  believed  it  of  him  at  this  mo- 
ment —  a  mocking-  laugh ;  heard  the  word, 
Inglese;  knew  intuitively  that  he  had  told 
them  who  and  what  we  were,  and  had  de- 
fied them. 

And  also,  as  I  divined  all  this,  I  saw  that 
the  other  men  had  returned,  had  reached 
the  g-ate  and  were  lending-  their  assistance 
to  aid  in  its  being  barred  against  us. 

It  was  war  time,  as  I  had  said  before ;  I 
took  heart  of  grace  in  remembering-  this, 
and  I  set  to  work  to  hew  my  way,  even 
though  I  killed  all  who  opposed  me,  toward 
the  distant  goal  I  sought.  One  brawny 
Spaniard  who,  even  as  he  lent  his  whole 
weight  to  the  gate,  drew  forth  a  huge  pistol, 
I  cut  down  over  those  bars,  he  falling  all 
a-heap  in  the  road ;  another  I  ran  through 
the  shoulder;  and  I  saw  the  steel  of  Juan's 
lighter  sword  gleam  like  a  streak  of  light- 
ning betwixt  the  upper  and  the  second  bar; 
I  heard  the  third  man  who  had  come  back 
give  a  yell  of  pain  as  it  reached  him,  while 
a  pistol  he  had  just  fired  fell  to  the  ground 
—  he  falling  a  moment  later  on  top  of  it. 

And  now  there  was  but  the  original  man 
left  at  the  gate,  and  still  it  was  not  shut ! 
Wherefore  I  brought  the  whole  strength 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  219 

and  power  of  my  body  to  force  it  back  so 
that  there  should  be  room  for  us  to  pass. 

Yet,  even  as  I  did  so,  I  had  to  desist,  for 
from  behind,  I  heard  Juan  shout : 

"Mervan,  Mervan,  help  me!"  and  on 
looking-  round  I  saw  that  the  jennet  was 
riderless.  Saw  also,  that  he  was  down,  that 
the  man  who  had  begun  to  descend  the  hill 
was  wrestling-  with  him  on  the  ground,  and 
that,  as  they  struggled  together,  both  were 
rolling-  over  toward  the  lower  part  of  the 
precipice  or  rock  side,  which  hung-  perpen- 
dicularly above  the  swift  flowing  river 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  FIRST  FIGHT. 

In  a  moment  I,  too,  was  off  my  horse  — 
had  tied  it  and  the  jennet's  reins  together — 
and  had  flung-  myself  on  the  man — a  big, 
brawny  fellow  who  had  one  arm  around 
Juan's  body  while,  with  his  disengaged 
hand,  he  felt  for  a  knife  in  his  girdle. 

Even  as  I  did  so  I  saw  that  they  were 
both  perilously  near  the  edge  of  the  rock 
which  hung  over  the  river,  that  in  a  few 
more  moments  both  must  have  gone  over 
it  —  over  and  down,  crashing  through 
bushes  and  shrubs  until  they  fell  into  that 
rapid  stream  below,  or  were  hurled  on  to 
the  timbers  of  the  crazy  bridge,  with,  prob- 
ably, their  bones  broken  all  to  pieces. 

Yet,  small  as  was  the  space  left  in  which 
a  third  man  might  intervene,  be  sure  I  lost 
no  time  in  doing  so,  in  flinging  myself  upon 
that  muscular  Spaniard  and  in  tearing  him 
off  his  prey.  Seizing  him  by  the  collar  of 
his  jacket,  one  hand  around  his  throat,  I 
dragged  him  from  the  boy  —  for  I  was  as 
muscular  as  he,  and,  maybe,  younger,  too — 

220 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  221 

wrenched  him  to  his  feet  and  sent  him  reel- 
ing- back  into  the  road. 

"Catch  the  horses,"  I  said  to  Juan, 
"  quick.  And  mount  yourself.  Be  ready. 
Once  I  have  disposed  of  this  fellow  there 
remains  none  but  the  one  at  the  gate." 

And,  although  the  lad  tottered  as  he  rose 
to  his  feet,  he  did  as  I  bade  him,  and,  secur- 
ing- the  animals,  which  had  but  backed  a  few 
paces  down  the  road,  g-ot  into  his  saddle 
again.  Then  he  said  —  though  faintly:  "I 
will  go  forward  and  dispose  of  the  remain- 
ing man." 

Yet  there  was  still  this  one  to  be  dis- 
posed of  —  and  I  understood  at  a  glance 
that  I  had  no  easy  task  before  me  ere  I 
could  do  so. 

He  was  a  fellow  of  great  bulk  —  this  I 
could  observe  in  the  light  of  a  watery  half 
moon  that  now  peeped  up  over  the  bend  of 
the  rock  by  where  the  cabin  stood ;  also  he 
was  well  armed.  In  his  hand  he  held  now  a 
long  cavalry  sword,  which  he  had  drawn 
from  its  steel  scabbard  with  a  clash  even  as 
he  staggered  back  against  the  rock;  with 
his  other  hand  he  fumbled  at  the  silken 
sash  around  his  waist,  in  which  was  the 
knife  he  had  endeavoured  to  draw  against 
Juan. 

In  God's  mercy,  he  had  no  pistol ! 


222  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

He  muttered  some  hoarse  words — to  me 
they  conveyed  little  —  yet  no  words  were 
needed.  I  knew  as  well  as  though  he  had 
spoken  my  own  tong-ue  that  one  of  three 
things  must  happen  now :  That  great  inch- 
deep  blade  either  buried  in  my  heart  or  my 
head  cleft  open  with  it,  or  my  straight  Eng- 
lish weapon  through  and  through  him  ! 

Then  we  set  to  it. 

As  animals  which  are  bereft  of  speech 
fight,  so  we  fought  now  —  only  more  warily. 
For  they  fly  at  each  other's  throats,  in  a 
moment  are  locked  in  each  other's  grasp, 
their  fangs  deep  in  the  other's  flesh.  It 
was  not  so  with  us.  We  had  not  to  come 
too  close,  but  rather  to  guard  and  feint,  to 
avoid  each  other  till  the  moment,  the  one 
critical  and  supreme  moment,  came.  Thus 
we  began. 

At  first,  perhaps,  because  of  the  deadly 
weight  of  his  blade  —  better  for  cut  than 
thrust  —  he  aimed  twice  at  my  head,  and 
tried  again  a  third  time,  then  jumped  back 
with  another  of  his  —  tome — unintelligible 
hoarse  and  raucous  exclamations ;  for,  at 
that  attempt,  I  had  quickly  — ay  !  and  easily, 
too  —  parried  the  blow,  had  disengaged  my 
weapon,  and,  with  a  rapid  thrust,  had  nearly 
struck  home  —  had  missed  the  inside  of 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  223 

his  ribs  by  an  inch  only.  Then  knew  that 
the  next  time  I  should  not  fail. 

"Curse  you,"  I  muttered,  "if  I  could 
speak  your  patois,  I  'd  tell  you  that  you  are 
doomed."  While  to  myself  I  said  :  "He  is 
a  clumsy  fool,  and  —  he  is  mine." 

We  had  turned  in  these  passadoes,  as  I 
drove  him  back ;  so,  too,  I  had  edged  him 
round.  Now,  't  was  I  who  had  the  rock  be- 
hind me,  'twas  he  who  had  the  declivity 
of  the  lower  precipice  behind  him. 

And  he  knew  it  as  well  as  I  —  saw  in  a 
moment  all  that  this  meant,  and  —  endeav- 
oured to  turn  again. 

Yet  he  never  had  the  chance.  Trust 
me  for  that !  —  as  my  recollection  of  the 
daily  lessons  in  the  fence  school  at  Houns- 
low,  which  for  a  year  Dutch  William's  best 
ferrailleurs  had  taught  me  ere  my  father  got 
my  guidon  for  me. 

He  never  had  the  chance  !  Yet  he  strove 
hard  for  it,  too;  proved  'that  Spain  made 
no  bad  choice  when  she  sent  him  to  this 
frontier  post;  strove  hard  to  beat  me  round 
again,  to  bring  my  back  in  the  position  his 
was — to  the  lip  of  the  plateau — and  failed. 

If  I  could  have  spoken  to  him  in  his 
patois  —  for  'twas  scarce  Spanish  —  if  I 
could  have  made  him  understand,  if  he 
would  have  discontinued  his  contest  with 


224  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

me,  I  would  have  spared  him,  and  willingly ; 
would  have  bidden  him  let  me  go  in  peace, 
and  be  saved  himself.  For  he  was  a  brave 
man  ;  too  good  a  one  for  the  doom  that  must 
now  be  his.  Yet  he  forced  me  to  it,  forced 
me  to  go  on,  ceased  not  for  one  instant  his 
swinging  blows  and  thrusts,  forced  me  to 
parry  and  thrust  in  turn  for  my  own  sal- 
vation —  to  drive  him  back  step  by  step  to 
the  brink  of  the  precipice  behind  him.  And, 
now,  it  was  not  five  paces  behind  him. 

His  was  the  danger  —  I  wondered  if  he 
knew  it  —  yet  mine  the  horror.  Above  the 
clashing  of  our  swords  I  heard  now  the 
dull,  hoarse  roaring  of  the  river  below, 
heard  its  angry  swish  as  it  struck  past  the 
timbers  of  the  bridge  below  —  in  my  desire 
to  save  him  I  told  him  madly  in  my  best 
Spanish  to  desist  —  to  save  himself.  Also, 
I  think,  he  saw  upon  my  face  some  look  of 
horror  at  the  fate  that  must  be  his,  some 
beads  of  sweat,  perhaps,  upon  it,  too — I 
know  I  felt  them  there  —  saw  them,  and  — 
God  help  him  !  —  misunderstood  them. 
Misunderstood,  and  thought  my  look  of 
horror,  my  sweat,  were  for  my  own  safety. 

With  a  leap,  a  roar,  he  came  at  me  again 
like  a  tiger  springing  at  its  prey,  his  blows 
raining  upon  my  sword  ;  almost  I  thought 
that  even  now  he  would  have  borne  me  to 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     225 

the  earth,  have  conquered.  And  I  thrust 
blindly,  too,  in  desperation,  knew  that  my 
blade  was  through  his  arm,  saw  him  jump 
back,  stagger — and  disappear  ! 

And  up  from  below  where  he  had  last 
stood  there  came  a  scream  of  awful  fear  and 
terror,  the  branches  and  the  bushes  crashed, 
there  was  a  thud  upon  the  water  a  hundred 
feet  below  —  and  then  nothing-  more  but 
the  swirl  of  the  river  and  its  hoarse  mur- 
mur as  it  swept  along. 

It  had  not  taken  much  time  in  the  doing. 
A  moment  later  I  was  running  up  the  road 
to  where  the  gate  stood,  swung  back  now 
so  that  the  road  was  clear.  And  Juan  was 
sitting  on  his  horse,  a  pistol  in  his  hand, 
and  in  the  road,  standing  beneath  him,  his 
hands  by  his  side,  stood  the  last  remaining 
man,  dreading  to  move,  palsied  with  fright, 
and  speechless. 

"What  shall  we  do  with  him?"  the  youth 
asked,  turning  on  me  a  face  in  which  there 
was  now  left  no  vestige  of  that  brilliant  col- 
our it  had  once  borne.  "What?  Killhim?" 
and  his  eyes  flashed  ominously,  so  that  I 
knew  the  lust  for  blood  was  awakened. 

"Nay,"  I  said.  "Nay.  There  is  no 
need  for  that.  Bind  him  and  lock  him  up 
here  in  his  hut.  That  will  do  very  well. 


226  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Also,  he  is  old.  What  of  these  others?" 
and  I  turned  to  those  who  lay  in  the  road. 

As  I  looked  at  them,  it  seemed  that  none 
were  hurt  to  death — for  which  I  was  thank- 
ful enough,  since  a  soldier  needs  but  to  dis- 
able his  enemy,  and  seeks  not  to  take  life 
needlessly.  The  one  whom  I  had  first  cut 
down  seemed  to  have  but  a  scalp  wound  — 
doubtless  the  thick,  coarse  hat  of  felt  he 
wore  had  turned  my  blade  ;  he  whom  I 
had  run  through  the  shoulder  had  but  a 
flesh  wound,  which  would  trouble  him  for 
some  weeks  at  most;  while  the  fellow  whom 
Juan  had  pinked  had  got  an  ugly  gash  in 
the  neck. 

"  We  will  put  them  all  in  here  together," 
I  said,  pointing  to  their  hut,  "then  leave 
them.  Doubtless  they  will  be  relieved  in 
some  hours.  Yet  the  longer  ere  it  happens 
the  better.  We  must  press  on  and  on  till 
we  are  well  clear  of  this  part  of  the  world. 
There  will  be  a  hue  and  cry." 

After  saying  which,  I  proceeded  to  drag 
the  wounded  men  in  —  one  of  them  was 
able  .to  enter  the  place  unaided,  though  not 
without  many  melancholy  groans  and  ejac- 
ulations— and  then  motioned  to  the  old  man 
to  follow. 

But  now,  obeying  me  even  as  I  so  pointed 
to  the  door,  he  cast  an  imploring  glance  at 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  227 

Juan,  and  then  muttered  something-  to  him, 
the  boy  answering-  him  with  a  laug-h.  And 
on  my  demanding-  to  know  what  he  had  said, 
my  companion  replied: 

"  He  saw  you  take  up  the  lamp.  There- 
fore he  asked  if  you  were  going-  to  burn 
them  all  when  they  were  locked  in  the  hut." 

"Humph!"  I  said.  "It  has  not  quite 
come  to  that." 

Time  was,  however,  precious  now,  there- 
fore it  was  useless  for  us  to  remain  here 
any  longer,  or  to  waste  any  more  of  it; 
whereon,  ag-ain  taking  up  the  lamp,  I  carried 
it  out  into  the  road.  Then  I  removed  the 
key  from  where  it  hung  by  the  side  of  the 
door,  and,  going  out,  locked  them  all  inside. 

"Now,"  I  said,  "they  can  remain  there 
till  some  one  comes  by  to  set  them  free. 
Yet,  if  that  some  one  comes  across  from 
Portugal,  and  our  late  landlord  speaks 
truth,  they  will  be  in  no  hurry  to  do  that 
friendly  office  for  them."  After  which  I 
blew  out  the  lamp,  and,  walking  to  the  edge 
of  the  under  precipice,  hurled  both  it  and 
the  key  down  into  the  river  beneath. 

For  some  time  after  we  had  set  out 
upon  our  journey  again  we  rode  in  silence, 
Juan  being  as  much  occupied,  I  supposed, 
with  his  thoughts  as  I  with  mine.  And, 
indeed,  my  own  were  none  of  the  pleasant- 


228  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

est;  above  all  I  regretted  that  that  brave 
man  with  whom  I  had  fought  had  gone  to 
his  doom.  For,  although  killing  was  my 
trade,  and  although  I  had  already  taken  part 
in  several  skirmishes  and  fights,  I  had  none 
too  great  a  liking  for  having  been  obliged 
to  slay  him.  Yet  I  consoled  myself  with 
the  reflection  that  it  was  his  life  or  mine, 
and  with  that  I  had  to  be  content.  But 
also  there  were  other  things  that  troubled 
me,  amongst  them  being  what  I  feared 
would  prove  certain,  namely,  that  there 
would  be  that  hue  and  cry  after  us  of 
which  I  had  spoken  for  some  time  at  least, 
and  until  we  had  left  the  frontier  far  behind. 
Nor,  since  Lugo  was  but  a  short  distance 
from  this  place,  would  it  be  possible  for  us 
to  stop  there  even  for  so  much  as  a  night's 
rest.  We  must  go  on  and  on  till  we  had  out- 
stripped all  chance  of  being  recognised  as 
the  two  men  who  had  forced  themselves 
into  a  hostile  country  in  the  manner  we  had 
done. 

But  now,  breaking  in  on  these  reflec- 
tions, I  heard  Juan's  soft  voice  speaking  to 
me,  murmuring  words  of  admiration  and 
affection. 

"Mervan,"  he  said,  "if  I  liked  you  be- 
fore— ay!  from  the  very  moment  you  stood 
outside  the  cabin  door  of  La  Sacra  Familia 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  229 

and  bade  me  unlock  it,  and  when  the  first 
sound  of  your  voice  told  me  I  had  naught  to 
fear — I  love  you  now.  My  life  upon  it!  you 
are  a  brave  man,  such  as  I  delight  in 
seeing1." 

I  laughed  a  little  at  this  compliment, 
yet  soberly,  too,  for  this  was  no  time  for 
mirth  —  also,  I  recognised  clearly  enough 
that  every  step  the  animals  beneath  us  took 
brought  us  nearer  to  other  dangers,  by  the 
side  of  which  our  recent  adventure  was 
but  child's  play  —  then  answered  : 

"And  what  of  yourself,  Juan?  You 
have  done  pretty  well,  too,  I  'm  thinking ;  go 
on  like  this,  and  you  will  be  fitted  to  ride 
stirrup  to  stirrup  with  the  most  grim  old 
blades  of  Marlborough's  armies  when  we 
get  to  Flanders — if  we  ever  do !  I  thought 
you  nervous,  to  speak  solemn  truth  ;  now  I 
am  glad  to  have  you  by  my  side." 

Yet,"  said  the  boy,  his  face  radiant  with 
delight,  as  I  saw  when  he  turned  it  on  me 
under  the  rays  of  the  moon,  "  I  was  deathly 
sick  with  fear  all  the  time.  Oh !  my  God ! " 
he  cried  suddenly,  "what  should  I  have 
done,  what  become  of  me,  if  you  had  been 
struck  down? "  Then  added,  anxiously,  a 
moment  later.  "  You  are  not  wounded  ?" 

"  Not  a  scratch.     And  you?" 

"  Nor  I,  either.     Yet  I  was  so  faint  as  I 


230  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

guarded  that  old  man  by  the  gate,  that  I 
doubted  if  I  could  sit  the  horse  much  longer; 
I  should  have  fallen  to  earth,  I  do  verily  be- 
lieve, had  you  not  joined  me  when  you  did." 

"Poor  lad,"  I  said,  "poor  lad.  You  have 
chosen  but  a  rough  road,  a  dangerous  com- 
panion. You  should  have  gone  to  England 
in  the  Pembroke,  with  the  fleet.  You  would 
have  been  half  way  there  by  now,  and  in 
safety." 

"Never!"  he  said.  "Never!"  And, 
as  if  to  give  emphasis  to  his  words,  he 
turned  round  in  his  saddle  toward  me,  plac- 
ing his  left  hand  on  the  cantle  as  though  to 
obtain  a  steady  glance  of  my  face,  and  con- 
tinued. 

UI  told  you  we  were  friends,  sworn 
friends  and  true.  Also,  that  to  be  together 
was  all  that  I  asked.  Mervan,  our  friend- 
ship is  rivetted,  bound,  now;  nothing  but 
death  or  disaster  shall  part  us  —  nothing; 
till  at  least,  this  journey  is  concluded. 
Then  —  then  —  if  you  choose  to  turn  me  off 
you  may;  but  not  before.  You  have  not 
yet  learnt,  do  not  know  yet,  what  a  Span- 
ish—  a  —  a  man  reared  amongst  Spaniards 
feels  when  he  swears  eternal  friendship." 

After  which  he  regained  his  position 
and  rode  on,  looking  straight  between  his 
horse's  ears.  But  once  I  heard  him  mutter 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  231 

to  himself,  though  still  not  so  low,  either, 
but  what  I  heard  it  very  well: 

"Friendship.     Dies!" 

And  this  warm,  fervent  youth,  this 
creature  full  of  emotion  and  glowing  friend- 
ship, was  him  against  whom  the  admiral 
had  expressed  some  distaste  when  he 
learned  that  I  proposed  to  ride  in  his  com- 
pany; had  doubted  if  that  companionship 
might  not  be  of  evil  influence  over  my  for- 
tunes during  the  journey.  If  he  knew 
nothing,  what  did  it  all  mean  ?  I  asked  my- 
self. Above  all  (and  this  I  had  pondered 
on  again  and  again,  though  without  being 
able  to  arrive  at  any  answer  to  the  riddle), 
why  warn  me  against  one  whom  he,  when 
brought  into  contact  with  that  one  himself, 
had  treated  with  such  scrupulous  defer- 
ence? 

Even  as  I  thought  again  upon  these 
things  I  resolved  that  as  our  acquaintance, 
our  friendship  and  comradeship  ripened,  I 
would  ask  Juan  who  and  what  he  was. 

For  at  present  I  knew  no  more  than  I 
have  written  down — that  he  was  young  and 
handsome,  and  was  well  to  do.  But  beneath 
all,  was  there  some  mystery  attached  to 
him  ?  Some  mystery  which  the  older  and 
more  far  seeing  eyes  of  Sir  George  had 


232  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

been  able  to  pry  into  and  discover,  while 
mine  were  still  blinded  to  it? 

We  were  passing-  now  through  a  wild 
and  desolate  region,  a  portion  of  the  west- 
ern extremity  of  northern  Spain,  in  which 
we  met  no  sign  of  human  life  or  human  habi- 
tation, hardly,  indeed,  any  sign  of  animal 
life.  Also  we  had  struck  a  chain  of  mount- 
ains densely  clothed  with  cork  and  chest- 
nut woods,  the  trees  of  which  were  bare  of 
leaves,  and  through  the  branches  of  which 
the  wind  moaned  cheerlessly.  On  our  left 
these  mountains,  after  an  interval  of  bar- 
ren moorland,  rose  precipitously;  to  our 
right  the  Minho  rolled  sullenly  along,  the 
road  we  traversed  lying-  between  it  and  the 
moor.  So  desolate,  indeed,  was  all  around 
us  now  that  we  might  have  been  two 
travellers  from  another  world  journeying 
through  this,  a  forgotten  or  undiscovered 
one;  no  light  either  far  or  near  twinkled 
from  hut  or  cottage,  neither  bark  of  dog 
nor  low  of  cattle  reached  our  ears;  all  was 
desolate,  silent  and  deserted. 

Yet,  even  as  the  road  lifted  so  that  we 
knew  we  were  ascending  those  mountains 
step  by  step,  we  observed  signs  which, 
added  to  the  well  kept  state  of  the  road 
itself,  told  us  it  was  not  an  altogether  un- 
used one.  For  though  the  snow  lay  hard 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  233 

and  caked  upon  it,  we  could  observe  where 
it  had  taken  the  impression  of  cart  wheels 
and  of  animals'  hoofs,  could  perceive  by 
this  that  it  was  sometimes  traversed. 

And,  presently,  we  observed  something1 
else,  something-  that  told  us  plainly  enough 
that  we  were  now  in  the  direct  way  for  Lu- 
go, observed  that  there  branched  into  the 
road  we  were  travelling  an  even  broader 
one  than  it  —  causing,  too,  our  own  road  to 
broaden  out  itself  as  it  ran  further  north ; 
a  road  in  the  middle  of  which  was  a  huge 
stone  column  or  pedestal,  with  arms  also  of 
stone  upon  it,  pointing  different  ways,  and 
with,  carved  on  them,  words  and  figures. 

And  of  these  arms  one  pointed  west  and 
bore  upon  it  the  words  :  To  Vigo  ;  an- 
other pointed  north  with,  on  it,  the  words : 
To  Lugo. 

And  seeing  all  this  by  the  aid  of  a  tinder 
box  and  lantern  which  we  carried  amongst 
our  necessaries  —  seeing  it,  too,  by  craning 
our  necks  and  standing  up  in  our  stirrups 
—  we  knew  that  we  had  now  struck  the 
route  along  which  those  must  have  come 
who  had  fled  from  Vigo  after  the  taking  of 
the  galleons. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MY   GOD  !     WHO   IS  HE  ? 

All  that  night  we  rode,  yet  slowly,  too, 
for  the  sake  of  the  horses,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing-— which  broke  bright,  clear  and  frosty, 
the  sun  sparkling  and  shining  gaily  amongst 
the  leafless  branches  and  trees  of  the  for- 
ests through  which  we  passed  —  reached  a 
little  town,  or  village,  about  half  way  'twixt 
the  frontier  and  Lugo,  a  place  called  Chan- 
tada,  and  not  far  from  another  town  named 
Orense,  which,  because  it  had  a  large  pop- 
ulation—  as  we  gathered  from  a  sight  of 
its  roofs  and  spires,  all  a-shining  in  the 
morning  sun,  as  we  could  see  very  well  from 
the  mountains  as  we  passed  along  them  — 
we  avoided.  Also,  we  avoided  it  because 
it  lay  not  so  much  upon  our  direct  route, 
by  some  three  or  four  leagues,  as  Chantada 
itself. 

"  Now,  come  what  may,"  said  I  to  Juan, 
as  we  drew  near  this  place,  "and  even 
though  we  should  be  pursued  from  the 
border  — which  is  not  very  like  —  we  must 
stop  here  for  some  hours.  We  require 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   235 

rest  ourselves ;  as  for  the  beasts,  they 
must  have  it ;  otherwise  they  will  have 
to  be  left  behind  and  others  found.  And 
that  would  be  a  pity  —  they  are  better  than 
might  have  been  looked  for  ! "  As,  indeed, 
they  were,  especially  considering1  the  hap- 
hazard manner  in  which  we  had  come  by 
them,  both  having-  kept  on  untiring  on  the 
road,  while,  as  for  the  jennet  which  Juan 
bestrode,  it  was,  possibly  because  of  his 
light  weight,  as  fresh  as  on  the  hour  we 
set  out. 

Then,  turning  to  him,  I  said,  even  as  I 
noticed  that  he  showed  no  signs  of  fatigue 
—  at  which  I  marvelled  somewhat!  —  and 
that  his  handsome  face  was  as  bright  and 
full  of  colour  as  it  had  ever  been  : 

"  You  must  be  a-weary,  Juan  ?  Three 
or  four  hours'  sleep  will  do  you  a  world  of 
good.  And  you  shall  have  it,  my  lad,  even 
though  I  sit  at  your  door  with  a  drawn 
sword  in  my  hand  to  prevent  interruption." 

As  usual,  he  smiled  that  gracious,  win- 
some smile  upon  me  —  a  smile  which  was 
always  forthcoming  in  response  to  any 
simple  little  kindness  I  evidenced  to  him  — 
and  said  : 

"  I  could  ride  on  for  hours  thus  —  feel  no 
fatigue.  Maybe  't  is  the  brightness  of  the 
morning  that  heartens  me  so;  perhaps 


236  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

the  crisp  coolness  of  these  mountains  — 
Heavens  !  how  different  't  is  from  aught 
we  know  of  in  the  Indies  !  —  that  makes  me 
insensible  to  it!  Yet,  Mervan,"  and  he 
gave  me  a  glance  from  his  eyes,  under  the 
dark  and  now  dishevelled  curls  that  hung 
almost  over  them,  "there  is  one  thing  I 
long  to  do  now.  Mervan,  do  not  refuse.  I 
have  earned  the  right !  " 

"  What  is  it,  child?  "  I  asked,  wondering 
what  strange  request  he  might  be  about  to 
prefer. 

"  Let  me  sing  and  play  a  little.  '  T  will 
do  no  harm,  and  —  and  —  you  know  —  the 
viol  is  here,"  and  he  touched  lightly  the 
valise  strapped  in  front  of  his  saddle. 

"  Sing,  if  you  will,"  I  said,  yet  casting  a 
glance  around  and  ahead  of  me  to  see  if 
there  were  any  about  whose  curiosity  might 
be  attracted  by  the  music — though  in  sober 
truth  it  would  not  much  have  mattered  had 
there  been.  In  such  a  land  as  this — though 
I  scarce  knew  it  then !  —  for  a  traveller  to 
pass  along  on  his  way  singing  for  cheerful- 
ness and  for  solace  was  no  strange  thing, 
but  rather,  instead,  the  custom.  "Sing,  if 
you  wish  —  I  shall  be  glad  enough  to  hear  a 
merry  note  or  so.  For  audience,  however, 
there  will  be  no  other." 

"I  want  none,"  he  replied,  "if  you  are 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  237 

content."  And  by  now,  having-  got  out  the 
little  viol  d'amore,  he  struck  a  few  notes 
upon  it  and  began  to  sing. 

At  first  his  song  was,  as  I  understood 
and  as  he  told  me  afterward,  a  love-ballad 
addressed  by  a  youth  to  his  mistress;  the 
words  —  as  he  uttered  them  —  soft  and  lus- 
cious as  the  trill  of  the  nightingale  on 
summer  night.  And  his  marvellous  beauty 
added  also  to  the  effect  it  had  on  me,  made 
me  wonder  how  many  dark,  tropic  beauties 
in  the  lands  he  came  from  had  already  lost 
their  hearts  to  him.  Nay,  wondered  so 
much  that,  as  the  last  sweet  tones  of  both 
his  voice  and  viol  died  upon  the  crisp  morn- 
ing air,  I  asked  him  a  question  to  that  effect. 

"  Hoi  Ho!  "  he  laughed,  yet  softly  as  he 
had  just  now  sung.  "  None !  None !  None! 
In  the  Indies  I  am  nothing;  all  are  as  dark 
as  I  except  when  they  are  golden  —  fair  — 
and  —  and  —  Mervan,  mon  ami,  no  woman 
has  ever  said  a  word  of  love  to  me." 

"  Humph !  "  I  said,  doubting.  "  Nor  you, 
perhaps,  a  word  of  love  to  them." 

"  Nor  I  a  word  of  love  to  them.  Never, 
never.  Le  grand  jamais  I ' ' 

"  Nor  ever  loved?  "  with  a  tone  of  doubt 
so  strong  in  my  voice  now  that  he  could  not 
fail  to  understand  it. 

"  Nor  ever  loved,"  he  repeated,     "  Yes 


238  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

—  yes  —  I  love  now.  Now!"  Then,  im- 
petuously, as  he  ever  spoke  —  like  a  torrent 
let  loose  from  mountain  side  —  he  went  on: 

"Love!  Love!  Love!  With  heart  and 
soul,  and  brain,  on  fire.  Love !  so  that  for 
the  creature  I  adore  —  have  learnt  to  wor- 
ship, I  would  —  ah!  what  would  I  not  do? 
Cast  my  body  beneath  that  creature,  plunge 
through  fire  or  water — Oh!  "  he  exclaimed, 
breaking  off  as  suddenly  as  he  had  begun, 
"Oh!  I  am  a  fool!  A  fool!  A  fool!" 

"But,  surely,"  I  said,  "surely,  with 
such  as  you  are,  that  love  does  not  go  un- 
requited. If  you  have  spoken  to  the  ob- 
ject of  this  passion,  told  of  this  love  you 
say  you  bear  —  and  are  believed  —  it  must 
be  returned.  Such  love  as  yours  would  not 
be  simulated,  must  therefore  be  appre- 
ciated." 

"Simulated!"  he  exclaimed.  "Simu- 
lated. It  cannot  be  simulated,  not  as- 
sumed like  a  mountebank's  robe  ere  he 
plays  a  part.  Any  one  can  paint  a  flame, 
any  tawdry  daubster  of  an  inn  signboard, 
but  not  even  Murillo  himself  could  paint 
the  heat.  And  my  love  is  heat  —  not  — 
not  flame." 

"And  the  lady?  The  lady?"  I  asked 
almost  impatiently.  "Surely  she  does  — 
she  must  —  return  this  love." 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  239 

Volatile  as  he  was,  and,  changing  his 
mood  again  in  a  moment,  he  looked  slyly  at 
me  under  the  dark  locks,  twanged  the  viol 
again  and  burst  into  another  song,  different 
from  the  one  he  had  but  recently  finished, 
the  song  which  I  had  previously  known 
him  to  sing : 

"  Oh  !  have  you  heard  of  a  Spanish  lady, 
How  she  wooed  an  Englishman  ? " 

"I  am  an  Englishman  now,  you  know, 
Mervan,"  interrupting  the  song.  Then 
going  on : 

"  Garments  gay  and  rich  as  may  be, 
Decked  with  jewels,  she  had  on.  " 

"Did  she  woo  you,  then?"  I  asked,  as 
he  paused  a  moment. 

For  answer  he  sang  again  : 

"  As  his  prisoner  fast  he  kept  her, 

In  his  hands  her  life  did  lie; 
Cupid's  bands  did  tie  them  faster 
By  the  twinkling  of  an  eye " 

He  stopped  abruptly  and  pointed  ahead 
of  him  with  the  little  viol,  then  wrapped  it 
up  again  in  his  valise  and  said : 

"See,  amigo,  there  is  the  village  —  what 
was  its  name  cut  on  the  pedestal?  Now 
what  are  we  ?  Eh  ?  And  whence  come  we 
if  any  questions  are  asked  ?  " 

"You  are  a  young  Spanish  gentleman," 
I  said,  repeating  a  lesson  I  had  hitherto  in 


240  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

our  ride  tutored  him  in,  "from  Vigo.  I 
am  a  Frenchman.  We  are  on  our  way 
to  Bayonne  to  join  the  French  forces. 
Also,  we  neither  of  us  know  English." 

"  Bon,  pas  un  mot"  he  replied,  catching 
me  up  brightly.  "  Et  nous  parlons  Anglais 
comme  une  vache  parle  EspagnoL  N'est-ce 
pas,  mon  ami?  " 

"  C'est  fa.  En  avant"  I  replied,  and 
with  a  laugh  we  each  touched  our  horses 
with  the  heel  and  cantered  down  into  the 
village  of  Chantada. 

'T  was  a  poor  place  enough  for  any  trav- 
ellers to  see,  consisting  of  a  long,  but  very 
wide  street,  with  a  fountain  in  the  midst  of 
a  wide  open  square,  around  which  there  lay 
a  number  of  grunting  swine  —  lean  and  re- 
pulsive—  and  also  some  score  or  so  of  geese, 
all  basking  in  the  morning  sun. 

Yet  next  in  importance  to  the  church, 
which  was  on  one  side  of  this  plaza,  was  that 
which  we  most  sought  for,  an  inn,  and,  per- 
haps because  of  the  road  being  one  of  im- 
portance 'twixt  both  Portugal  and  Vigo  to 
France,  it  was  a  large,  substantial-looking 
house,  long,  and  with  many  rooms  on  either 
side  the  great  porte,  as  well  as  in  the  two 
stories  beneath  its  sloping  and  serrated 
Spanish  roof ;  also,  it  looked  prosperous  — 
a  huge  gilt  coronet  hung  out  over  the  un- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  241 

paved  street.  For  name  it  had  painted 
along  all  its  front,  the  words  ' '  Taverna 
Duquesa  Santa  Ana.' ' 

Under  the  great  archway  we  rode  in, 
seeing-  that  in  a  vast  courtyard  there  stood 
a  travelling  coach  on  which,  although  there 
were  no  horses  attached  to  it,  some  baggage 
was  still  left  piled  up  beneath  some  skins ; 
hearing  also  the  stamping  of  several  horses 
in  their  stables. 

"Ask,"  said  I  to  Juan,  speaking  in 
French  —  as  agreed  between  us,  there  was 
to  be  no  more  English  spoken  unless  we 
were  certain  no  ears  could  overhear  us  — 
"ask  if  we  can  be  accommodated  for  some 
hours,  say,  until  night.  Then  we  must 
resume  our  journey.  Ask  that." 

Obedient  to  my  behest,  the  youth  turned 
to  a  man  who  came  out  from  the  door  giv- 
ing entrance  to  the  inn  itself  and,  in  Span- 
ish, made  his  demand,  whereupon  the  fel- 
low, after  bowing  politely,  said  : 

"There  is  ample  accommodation  for  — 
for  more —  alas  !  —  than  travel  these  roads." 

Then,  because  I  addressed  a  word  or  so 
in  French  to  him,  he  continued  in  that 
language,  which,  however,  he  had  exceed- 
ingly badly : 

"Messieurs  will  stay  here  till  night, 
then  push  on  to  Lugo  ?  Bon,  they  will  be 


242  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

there  by  morning1.  So  !  So  !  Yes,  in  ver- 
ity, they  can  have  a  good  meal.  There  are 
geese,  fowls,  meat,  also  some  wine  of  excel- 
lence. Messieurs  may  refresh  themselves 
in  all  ways." 

Our  horses  put  in  the  stable,  therefore, 
we  sat  down  half  an  hour  later  in  a  vast  sala 
—  in  which  a  great  banquet  might  have  been 
given  with  ease  —  to  a  dish  of  veal,  a  fowl, 
and  an  olla-podrida,  all  of  which  would  have 
been  good  enough  had  they  not  been  fla- 
voured so  much  with  garlic  that  —  to  my 
taste,  at  least  —  all  pleasure  was  destroyed ; 
also  we  had  some  most  excellent  chocolate 
and  some  good  spirituous  liquor  to  follow  — 
at  which  latter  Juan  turned  a  wry  face. 
Then  ordering  another  meal  to  be  ready 
ere  we  set  out  —  with  strict  injunctions 
that  the  flavouring  should  on  this  occasion 
be  omitted  —  we  betook  ourselves  to  the 
rooms  above,  where  we  were  to  get  a  few 
hours'  rest. 

Yet,  as  we  passed  along  the  whitewashed 
corridor,  the  windows  of  which  gave  on  to 
the  stable  yard,  the  travelling  coach  stand- 
ing there  caught  our  eyes,  and  I  said  to  the 
host: 

"  You  have  at  least  some  one  else  here 
besides  us.  Some  great  personage,  I  should 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  243 

suppose,  by  his  equipage,"  and  I  directed 
my  glance  to  where  the  great  carriage  was. 

"Ho!"  said  the  man  with  the  true  Span- 
ish shrug  of  the  shoulder,  which  is  even 
more  emphatic  than  the  French  one,  more 
suggestive,  as  it  seems  to  me  ;  "a  person- 
age of  wealth,  I  should  say,  but  no  grandee 
—  of  Spain,  at  least." 

"  Of  what  land,  then ?"  I  asked.  "And 
why  a  personage  of  wealth,  yet  no  grandee?" 

"Oh  !  well,  for  that,"  the  man  said, with 
again  the  inimitable  shrug,  "his  deport- 
ment, his  conduct  is  not  that  which  our  no- 
bility permit  themselves.  Though  I  know 
not  —  perhaps  it  may  be  so  —  he  is  a  noble- 
man of  —  well  —  possibly,  England.  He 
drinks  heavily  —  name  of  a  dog  I  but  he 
drinks  like  a  fiend,  un  enragt — cognac, 
cognac,  cognac — also  he  sings  all  the  night, 
sometimes  so  that  even  the  fowls  and  the 
dogs  are  awakened,  also  all  our  house. 
Yet  he  pays  well  —  very  well ! " 

"Doubtless,"  I  replied,  quietly,  "an 
English  nobleman.  Such  is  their  custom, 
according  to  the  ideas  of  other  nations. 
Well,  let  us  to  rest,"  whereon  Juan  and  I 
turned  each  into  a  room  which  the  landlord 
indicated,  and,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  I 
slept  calmly  and  peacefully  until  awakened 
by  him  at  three  of  the  afternoon. 


244  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Now,  when  I  descended  to  where  our 
other  repast  was  prepared  for  us,  which 
would  probably  be  the  last  one  of  a  sub- 
stantial nature  which  we  should  be  likely  to 
get  ere  reaching-  Lugo,  I  found  Juan  there 
walking-  up  and  down  the  great  sala,  his 
sword  swishing  about  against  his  left  leg 
as  he  turned  backward  and  forward  petu- 
lantly. Also,  I  could  see  that  something  had 
ruffled  his  usually  sweet  disposition  —  that 
his  colour  was  a  little  higher  than  in  general, 
and  that  the  soft  velvet-looking  eyes  were 
sparkling  angrily. 

"  Why,  what  is  it?"  I  asked,  even  as  the 
landlord  brought  in  the  first  cover,  "what 
is  it,  my  boy  ?  You  are  ruffled." 

"Be  very  sure  I  am!"  he  exclaimed, 
speaking  rapidly,  and  of  course  in  French, 
so  that  the  man  heard  and  understood  all 
he  said.  "  I  have  been  insulted " 

"Insulted!" 

"At  least  rebuffed,  and  rudely,  too; 
and  by,  of  all  men,  a  filthy  blackamoor  — 
a  —  a — por  Didsl  —  a  slave!  Oh!  that  I 
had  him  in  the  Indies !  He  would  insult 
no  white  one  again,  I  tell  you ! "  and  he 
fingered  the  hilt  of  his  weapon  and 
stamped  his  shapely  foot  on  the  uncar- 
peted  floor  till  his  spurs  jangled. 

"Come,"  I  said,  "vou  can  afford  to  de- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  245 

spise  the  creature.     How  did  it  happen?" 

"Happen!  Happen!"  Juan  replied, 
still  angry.  "How?" 

"Monsieur  saw  the  black  man  prepar- 
ing1 the  luggage  on  the  great  coach,"  the 
landlord  said,  as  he  removed  the  dish-cover 
from  a  course  of  pork  and  raisins,  "and 
asked  which  way  his  master  went.  And 
the  fellow  was  surly,  rude  —  said  that  was 
their  business,  not  the  affair  of  strangers. 
Also,  they  sought  no  companions,  if — if  the 
young  senor  meant  that " 

"Who  never  offered  our  company," 
Juan  broke  in  again.  "  Curse  him  !  I  wish 
I  had  him  in  the  Indies  !  "  he  repeated. 

"Come, "I  said  again,  "come.  This  is 
beneath  you,  Juan  —  to  be  angry  with  a 
slave !  As  well  be  vexed  with  a  dog  that 
yaps  and  snaps  at  you  when  you  go  to  pat 
it.  Sit  down  and  eat  your  meal.  We  have 
a  long  ride  before  us." 

Perhaps  he  saw  some  sense  in  my  sug- 
gestion, for  he  flung  himself  into  a  chair 
and  began  to  eat ;  and  meanwhile  the  host, 
who  was  still  hovering  about,  handing  us 
now  a  dish  of  mutton  dressed  with  oysters 
and  pistachio  nuts,  and  now  some  stewed 
pomegranates,  chattered  away  at  one  side, 
telling  us  that  the  negro's  master  was  not 


246  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

well — that  he  had  been  drinking  again  ;  but 
yet  he  was  determined  to  set  out  at  once. 

"Though,"  said  he,  "but  an  hour  be- 
fore the  caballeros  rode  in  he  had  resolved 
to  stay  until  to-morrow.  I  know  not  why 
he  has  changed  his  mind  so  swiftly.  Oh  ! 

—  the  drink,  the  drink,  the  drink  !  "  and  he 
wagged  his  head. 

That  the  dissolute  man  whom  the  land- 
lord considered  to  be,  in  consequence,  an 
English  nobleman,  was  about  to  depart 
there  could  be  no  possibility  of  doubt. 
From  where  we  sat  at  table,  and  because 
curtains  to  the  windows  seemed  to  be 
things  of  which  those  who  kept  the  inn  had 
never  thought,  we  could  see  out  into  the 
courtyard  quite  plainly.  Saw  first  the 
horses  brought  out  —  four  of  them  —  and 
harnessed  to  the  huge,  lumbering  vehicle 

—  the  nobleman  would   have  proved  him- 
self a  kinder-hearted  man  if  he  had  used 
six !  —  saw    their    cloths    taken    off    their 
backs  by  the  postillion,  and  observed  the 
latter  make  ready  to  mount  the  near  side 
leader.     Also  we  saw  the  facchinos  on  lad- 
ders  strapping  tight  the  baggage  which 
had  been  brought  down  and  hoisted  on  top, 
then  heard  the  landlord,  who  had  now  left 
serving  us  to  attend  to  his  parting  guest,  give 
orders  that  the  noble  traveller  should  be  in- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  247 

formed  that  all  was  ready  for  his  depart- 
ure. Upon  which  we  quitted  our  seats  at 
the  table  and  walked  over  to  the  window, 
Juan's  curiosity  much  excited  at  the  chance 
of  seeing-  this  drunken  English  milor,  as  he 
called  him.  We  had  not  long-  to  wait.  For 
presently  we  heard  a  considerable  tram- 
pling on  the  stairs  and  some  mumbled 
words  —  to  my  surprise  the  deep,  g-uttural 
tones  seemed  familiar  !  —  and  then  we  saw 
a  wrapped  figure  carried  out  between  two 
of  thzfacchinos  and  lifted  up  into  the  car- 
riage. 

And  behind  that  figure  walked  a  negro, 
his  head  also  enveloped  in  a  rich  red  shawl 
— as  though  the  black  creature  feared  the 
cold  night  air,  forsooth  ! 

But,  even  as  they  lifted  the  debauched 
man  into  his  carriage,  the  wrappings 
about  his  face  became  disturbed  and  fell 
back  on  his  shoulders,  so  that  I  could  see 
his  face  —  and  I  started  as  I  did  so. 
Started  even  more,  too,  when,  a  second 
later,  I  heard  Juan  exclaim  in  a  subdued 
voice: 

"My  God,  who  is  he?  Almost  I  could 
swear " 

While  in  my  excitement  I  interrupted 
him,  saying : 

"  That  an  English  nobleman  !     That !  — 


248  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Why,  'tis  the  drunken  old  ruffian  who 
came  from  Rotterdam  with  me  in  the 
ship." 

"And  his  name?  His  name?"  Juan 
asked,  breathlessly.  "  His  name  ?  " 

"John  Carstairs." 

Even  as  I  spoke  the  postillion  cracked 
his  whip,  and  the  great  carriage  rolled  out 
of  the  courtyard,  the  lamps  twinkling1  and 
illuminating  our  faces  as  it  passed  before 
the  window.  Showed,  too,  as  they  flashed 
on  Juan's  face,  that  he  was  once  more 
deathly  pale  and  all  his  rich  colouring-  van- 
ished —  as  I  had  seen  it  vanish  more  than 
once  before. 


CHAPTER  XVIH. 

BETRAYED. 

"  His  name  is  Carstairs  ?  Humph  ! " 
Juan  said  to  me  when  the  last  sound  of  the 
wheels  had  died  away,  and  we  no  longer 
heard  the  rumbling  of  the  great  Berlin 
upon  the  stones  of  the  roughly  paved  street 
outside.  "  Carstairs  ! " 

"  That  is  the  name  under  which  he  was 
entered  as  a  passenger  in  the  papers  of 
La  Mouche  Noire"  I  answered.  Then  con- 
tinued, looking  at  the  boy  as  a  thought  came 
to  my  mind.  "  Why  1  have  you  ever  seen 
him  before,  Juan,  or  have  you  any  reason 
to  suppose  it  is  anything  else  than  Car- 
stairs  ?  " 

For  the  thought  that  had  come  to  me, 
the  recollection  which  had  suddenly  sprung 
to  my  mind,  was  the  memory  of  the  words 
Captain  Tandy  had  used  when  first  we  dis- 
cussed the  old  man.  "  '  T  is  no  more  his 
name  than  't  is  mine  or  yours." 

Also  I  recalled  that  he  had  said,  after 
meditation,  that  he  was  more  like  to  have 
been  one  Cuddiford  than  anybody  else. 

249 


250  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

And  now  it  seemed  as  though  this  strip- 
ling who  had  become  my  companion,  this 
boy  whose  years  scarce  numbered  eigh- 
teen, also  knew  something  of  him — disbe- 
lieved that  his  name  was  Carstairs. 

"Do  you  think,"  I  went  on,  "that  it  is 
something  else ?  Cuddiford,  say?" 

"Nay,"  he  replied.  "Nay.  Not  that. 
Not  that.  I  have  heard  of  Cuddiford, 
though.  I  think  he  was  brought  to  Lon- 
don and  tried.  But  —  but  —  oh!"  he  ex- 
claimed, breaking  off,  "  it  cannot  be  !  " 

"What  cannot  be?" 

"If,"  he  said,  speaking  very  slowly,  very 
gravely  now,  "if  it  were  not  eight  years 
since  I  last  set  eyes  on  him,  when  I  was 
quite  a  child;  if  he  had  a  beard  down  over 
his  chest  instead  of  being  close  shaven,  I 
should  say,  Mervan,  that  this  was  the  ruf- 
fian I  have  come  to  England  to  seek;  the 
villain  who  robbed  me  of  the  fortune  my 
father  left  me  —  the  scoundrel,  James 
Eaton." 

"James  Eaton!"  I  exclaimed.  "The 
man  you  asked  me  about;  thought  I  might 
be  like  to  know?" 

"The  same." 

"  Had  he,  this  Eaton,  been  a  buccaneer  ? 
for  I  make  no  doubt  that  man  has."  I  said. 
"The  captain  of  La  Mouche  Noire  thought 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  251 

so — and  —  and — his  raving's  and  deliriums 
seemed  to  point  that  way." 

"I  know  not,"  Juan  said.  "  Eaton  was 
a  villain — yet  —  yet  —  I  can  scarce  suppose 
my  father  would  have  trusted  him  with  a 
fortune  if  he  had  known  him  to  be  such  as 
that." 

"  Who  was  your  father,  Juan?  " 

"I  —  I,  "he  answered,  looking1  at  me  with 
those  clear  starry  eyes  —  eyes  into  which 
none  could  gaze  without  marvelling  at  their 
beauty  —  " I  do  not  know." 

"  You  do  not  know!  —  yet  you  know  he 
bequeathed  a  fortune  to'  you  and  left  it  in 
the  man  Eaton's  hands." 

"Mervan,"  he  said,  speaking1  quickly, 
"you  must  be  made  acquainted  with  my 
history  —  I  will  tell  it  you.  To-nig-ht,  when 
we  ride  forth  again;  but  not  now.  See,  our 
horses  are  ready,  they  are  bringing  them 
from  the  stables.  When  we  are  on  the  road 
I  will  tell  you  my  story.  '  T  will  not  take 
long.  Come,  let  us  pay  the  bill,  and  away." 

"I  will  pay  the  bill,"  I  said;  "later  we 
can  regulate  our  accounts.  And  as  you 
say,  we  had  best  be  on  the  road.  For  if 
that  old  man  has  seen  me,  or  if  his  black 
servant  has  done  so  —  it  —  it  —  may  be 
serious." 

"Serious!"   he   repeated.      "Serious! 


252  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

For  you,  my  friend?"  And  as  he  spoke 
there  was  in  his  voice  so  tender  an  evidence 
that  he  thought  nothing  of  any  danger 
which  could  threaten  him,  but  only  of  what 
might  befall  me,  that  I  felt  sure,  now  and 
henceforth,  of  the  noble,  unselfish  heart  he 
possessed.  "Oh!  not  serious  for  you." 

"Ay,"  I  replied.  "Ay.  Precious  seri- 
ous !  Remember,  he  knows  I  went  ashore 
in  Lagos  bay,  that  I  sailed  in  the  English 
fleet  to  Vigo.  What  will  happen,  think  you, 
if  he  warns  them  at  Lugo  that  such  a  one 
as  I  —  an  Englishman  —  who  assisted  at 
the  taking  of  the  galleons,  is  on  the  road 
'twixt  here  and  there?  " 

"My  God!"  the  boy  exclaimed,  thrust- 
ing his  hand  through  the  curls  clustering 
over  his  eyes  —  as  he  always  did  when  in 
the  least  excited.  "It  might  mean " 

"  Death,"  I  said,  "  sharp  and  swift;  with- 
out trial  or  time  for  shrift;  without " 

"But  —  whether  he  be  Eaton  —  or  — 
Carstairs  —  he  is  English  himself." 

"  Ay,  and  so^  he  is. "  I  answered,  "But 
be  sure  he  has  papers  —  also  he  can  speak 
Spanish  well,  will  doubtless  pass  for  a 
Spaniard.  Also,  unless  I  am  much  mistook, 
had  a  cargo  in  one  of  those  galleons  —  for 
what  else  has  he  followed  up  here?  For 
what  —  but  the  hopes  of  getting  back  some 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  253 

of  the  saved  spoil  which  has  been  brought 
to  Lugo?  That  alone  would  give  him  the 
semblance  of  being-  Spanish  —  would  earn 
him  sympathy.  Meanwhile,  what  should  I 
be  deemed?  A  spy!  And  I  should  die  the 
spy's  death." 

"What  then  to  do  next?"  Juan  asked, 
with  a  helpless,  piteous  look. 

"There  is  but  one  thing-  for  me  to  do," 
I  replied.  "  One  thing  alone.  As  I  told  you 
ere  we  set  out  from  Viana,  my  task  is  to 
ride  on  straight,  unerringly,  to  my  goal  — 
on  to  Flanders,  through  every  obstacle, 
every  barrier;  to  crash  through  them,  if 
heaven  permits,  as  Hopson  crashed 
through  that  boom  at  Vigo — to  reach  Lord 
Marlborough  or  to  fall  by  the  wayside. 
That  is  my  duty,  and  I  mean  to  do  it." 

"  Mervan !  Mervan ! "  he  almost  moaned. 

" '  T  is  that,"  I  went  on.  "  But  —  think 
not  I  say  it  unkindly,  with  lack  of  friend- 
ship or  in  forgetfulness  of  our  new  found 
camaraderie  —  for  you  the  need  does  not 
exist." 

"What!" 

"  Hear  me,  I  say,  Juan.  I  speak  but  for 
your  safety.  For  you  there  is  no  duty  call- 
ing; the  risk  does  not  exist.  You  are  free 
—  a  traveller  at  your  ease." 

"Silence!"  he  cried — his  rich,  musical 


254  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

voice  ringing-  clear  through  the  vast  sala  in 
the  midst  of  which  we  now  stood  once  more; 
and  as  he  spoke  he  raised  his  hand  with  a 
gesture  of  command.  "  Silence,  I  say !  By 
the  body  of  my  dead  and  unknown  father, 
you  do  not  know  Juan  Belmonte.  What! 
Set  out  with  you  and  turn  back  at  the  first 
sign  of  danger,  and  that  a  danger  to  you 
alone!  Oh!"  he  exclaimed,  changing  his 
tone  again,  emotional  as  ever.  "Oh!  Mer- 
van,  Mervan." 

"I  spoke  but  for  your  sake,"  I  said, 
sorry  and  grieved  to  see  I  had  wounded 
him.  "For  that  alone." 

"Then  speak  no  more,  never  again  in 
such  a  strain.  I  said  I  would  never  quit 
your  side  till  Flanders  is  reached;  no  need 
to  repeat  those  words.  Where  you  go  I  go 
—  unless  you  drive  me  from  your  side." 

And  now  it  was  my  turn  to  exclaim 
against  him,  to  cry:  "Juan!  you  think  I 
should  do  that!"  Yet  even  as  I  spoke,  I 
could  not  but  add:  " The  danger  to  you  as 
well  as  me  may  be  terrible." 

"No  more,"  he  said.  "No  more.  We 
ride  together  until  the  end  comes  —  for  one 
or  both  of  us.  Now,  let  us  call  the  reckon- 
ing and  begone.  The  horses  are  there," 
and  he  strode  to  the  window  and  made  a 
sign  to  the  stable-man  to  be  ready  for  us, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   255 

Yet  ere  the  landlord  came,  he  spoke  to  me 
again. 

"  Remember,"  he  said,  "  that  beyond  our 
camaraderie,  of  which  you  have  spoken  — 
ay  1  't  is  that  and  more,  far  more  —  beyond 
all  this,  I  do  believe  the  old  man  whose  face 
I  saw  as  the  great  lamps  shone  full  on  it  is 
James  Eaton.  I  have  come  to  Europe,  to 
this  cold  quarter  of  the  world,  to  find  him. 
Do  you  think  with  him  not  half  a  league 
ahead  that  I  will  be  turned  from  the  trail? 
Never  !  I  follow  that  man  to  Lugo  —  since 
his  beard  is  gone  I  cannot  pluck  him  by  that, 
but  I  can  take  his  throat  in  my  hands, 
thrust  this  through  his  evil  heart,"  and  he 
rapped  the  quillon  of  his  sword  sharply  as 
he  spoke.  Then  added  :  "As  I  will.  As 
I  will." 

"You  do  not  think  he  has  recognised 
you,  too?  Seen  you,  though  unseen  him- 
self, while  we  have  been  in  this  house,  pass- 
ing through  these  passages  and  corridors  ? 
as  I  doubt  not  either  he  saw  me,  or  that 
negro  of  his." 

He  thought  a  moment  after  I  said  this, 
then  suddenly  emerged  from  his  medita- 
tion and  laughed  a  bright,  ringing  laugh, 
such  as  I  had  learnt  to  love  the  hearing  of. 

"Nay,"  he  replied.  "Nay,"  and  still 
he  laughed.  "  He  has  not  —  could  not  rec- 


256  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ognise  me.  No  !  No !  No  !  When  I  pre- 
sent myself  to  him  he  —  will  —  he  will  be 
astonished." 

And  once  more  he  laughed. 

What  a  strange  creature  it  was,  I 
thought.  As  brave  as  a  young  lion ;  as 
emotional  and  variable  as  a  woman. 

In  answer  to  our  pealing  at  the  bell,  to 
our  calls  also,  the  landlord  came  in  at  last, 
not  hurrying  himself  at  all,  as  it  seemed  to 
us,  to  bring  the  bill.  Indeed,  we  had  ob- 
served him,  as  we  looked  forth  from  the 
window,  engaged  in  a  conversation  with 
two  of  the  townspeople  —  shrouded  in  the 
long  cloaks  which  Spaniards  wear  —  their 
heads  as  close  together  as  if  they  were  con- 
cocting a  crime,  though,  doubtless,  talk- 
ing of  nothing  more  important  than  the 
weather. 

"The  bill,"  I  said,  "the  bill.  Quick. 
Our  horses  await  us,  and  we  have  far 
to  ride." 

"Ay,"  he  replied.  "Ay,"  and  flinging 
down  a  filthy  piece  of  paper  on  the  table, 
added  :  "  There  is  the  bill " ;  and  he  stood 
drumming  his  fingers  on  the  table  while  I 
felt  for  the  coins  with  which  to  pay  it.  Yet, 
even  as  I  did  so,  I  noticed  that  the  fellow's 
manner  was  quite  changed  from  what  it  had 
been  hitherto.  His  obsequiousness  of  the 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   257 

morning-  had  turned  to  morose  surliness, 
which  he  took  no  trouble  to  conceal.  And, 
wondering-  if  Juan,  who  was  standing-  by, 
fastening-  his  spur  strap,  had  observed  the 
same  thing,  I  glanced  at  him  and  saw  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  man. 

"There  are  two  pistoles,"  I  said,  fling-- 
ing- them  on  the  table.  "  They  will  more 
than  pay  our  addition ;  give  the  rest  to  the 
servants." 

"Ay !  "  he  replied.  "Ay ! "  but  with  no 
added  word  of  thanks. 

*'  Is 't  not  enoug-h  ?  "  Juan  asked. 

"It  is  enough."  Then  he  turned  to  me 
and  said:  "You  are  riding-  to  Lug-o  to- 
night?" 

"That  is  our  road,"  I  replied,  feeling 
my  temper  mount  at  the  man's  changed 
manner.  "What  of  it?  Does  that  route 
displeasure  you,  pray?" 

"  Ho  !  "  he  grunted  ;  "  for  that,  it  makes 
no  matter  to  me."  Then  added:  "The 
horses  are  there,"  in  so  insolent  a  tone  that 
I  had  a  difficulty  in  restraining  myself  from 
kicking  or  striking  him.  But  I  remem- 
bered that,  before  all  else,  our  safety  had 
to  be  consulted,  and  that  naught  should  be 
done  to  cause  delay  to  our  progress  ;  where- 
fore, I  swallowed  my  ire  as  best  I  might. 

Yet,  as  we  rode  out  of  the  courtyard, 


258  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

I  saw  at  once  that  Juan's  own  thoughts 
tended  exactly  in  the  same  direction  as 
mine,  since  he  said  to  me : 

"That  fellow  has  been  told  something 
by  the  old  man  —  doubtless,  that  you  are 
English  —  that  we  both  are.  Par  Dibs! 
Suppose  he  has  informed  him  that  you 
were  in  the  English  fleet !  " 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  the  man  has  been 
told  so,"  I  replied.  "But  no  matter.  If  it 
were  not  for  you  I  should  not  care  a  jot." 

Then  once  more  I  saw  the  dark  eyes 
turned  on  me,  and  wished  that  I  had  held 
my  tongue  —  at  least  as  regarded  the  latter 
part  of  my  speech. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  town  had  gone  to  bed 
already.  The  great  square  was  deserted 
—  except  that  the  geese  and  pigs  were  still 
in  it,  huddled  together  around  the  fountain, 
and  severally  cackled  and  grunted  as  we 
trotted  by  them  ;  down  the  long  street,  as 
we  rode,  we  saw  no  signs  of  any  one  being 
outside  the  doors. 

Yet,  as  we  neared  the  extremity  of  both 
the  town  and  the  street,  and  came  to  where 
the  latter  ended  off  into  a  country  road 
stretching  along  a  dreary -looking  plain, 
over  which  the  moon  had  risen,  we  saw 
that  such  was  not  precisely  the  case.  At 
the  end  of  the  street,  that  which  was  the 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  259 

last  building-  was  a  little,  low,  whitewashed 
chapel ;  above  its  black  door  there  was  a 
figure  in  a  little  niche,  with,  burning-  in 
front  of  it,  a  candle  in  a  miserable  red- 
g-lassed  lantern ;  and,  feeble  as  were  the 
rays  cast  forth  from  this  poor,  yet  sacred, 
lamp,  they  were  sufficient  to  show  us  three 
men  on  horseback,  all  sitting-  their  steeds 
as  rig-idly  as  statues. 

Judging-  by  their  long-  black  cloaks  and 
the  tips  of  steel  scabbards  which  protruded 
beneath  them,  and  which  were  plainly 
enoug-h  to  be  seen,  even  in  that  dim,  cloudy 
lig-ht,  I  imagined  these  men  to  be  the  town 
g-endarmerie  —  thoug-h  doubtless  they  had 
some  other  name  to  denominate  them  — 
and  supposed  this  was  a  comfortable  po- 
sition which  they  probably  selected  night- 
ly. Also,  the  position  was  at  both  an  exit 
and  an  entrance  to  the  place,  therefore  a 
natural  one. 

"A  fine  night,  gentlemen,"  one  re- 
marked, and  next  I  heard  him  say  some- 
thing to  Juan,  which  he  replied  to  ;  in  both 
of  their  remarks  the  name  of  Lugo  being 
quite  distinct  to  my  ears.  But,  beyond 
this,  nothing  else  passed,  and,  a  few  mo- 
ments later,  we  were  riding  at  a  smart 
trot  across  the  dreary,  moor-like  plain. 

"They  asked,"  Juan  said,  in  answer  to 


260  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

my  question,  "if  our  destination  was  Lugo. 
That  was  all." 

"So  I  thought  I  heard,"  I  said.  And 
added:  "Until  we  were  past  them  I  felt 
not  at  all  sure  they  might  not  be  on  the 
lookout  for  us.  Might,  perhaps,  intend  to 
stop  us.  If  Carstairs,  or  Eaton,  or  what- 
ever his  name  is,  blew  upon  me  to  the  land- 
lord, he  would  be  as  like  to  do  it  to  the  au- 
thorities also.  However,  we  are  in  the 
open  now,  and  all  is  well  so  far." 

By  this  time  the  moon  was  well  up,  and 
we  could  see  the  country  along  which  we 
were  riding;  could  perceive  that 'twas  in- 
deed a  vast  open  plain,  with,  however,  as  it 
seemed  to  me,  a  forest  or  wood  ahead  of 
us,  into  which  the  road  we  were  on  trended 
at  last.  Could  see,  too,  the  snow  lying 
white  all  around,  as  far  as  the  moor 
stretched,  and  looking  beneath  the  moon- 
beams like  some  dead  sea  across  which 
no  ship  was  trying  to  find  its  way. 

"A  mournful  spot,"  I  said  to  Juan,  as, 
half  an  hour  later,  we  had  almost  reached 
the  entrance  to  the  great  forest,  which  we 
had  observed  drawing  nearer  to  us  at 
every  stride  our  beasts  took;  "'tis  well 
we  made  a  full  meal  ere  we  set  out.  We 
are  not  very  like  to  come  across  another 
ere  we  reach  Lugo." 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  261 

I  spoke  as  much  to  hearten  up  my 
companion  as  for  any  other  reason,  since 
I  feared  that,  in  spite  of  his  bravery  and 
firm-fixed  determination  to  never  leave  my 
side,  he  must  be  very  much  alarmed  at  the 
thoughts  of  what  might  happen  to  us  ere 
we  had  gone  many  more  leagues. 

But,  remarking  that  he  made  no  answer 
to  my  idle  words,  I  glanced  round  at  him 
and  perceived  that  his  head  was  turned  half 
way  back  toward  whence  we  had  come,  and 
that  upon  his  face  was  a  look  of  intense 
eagerness  —  the  look  of  one  who  listens 
attentively  for  some  sound. 

"  What  is  it,  Juan  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Horses'  hoofs  on  the  road  behind  us," 
he  said,  "and  coming  swiftly,  too.  Hark! 
do  you  not  hear  ?  " 

And  even  as  he  spoke  I  did  hear  them. 
Heard  also  something  else  to  which  my 
soldier's  ears  had  made  me  very  well  ac- 
customed: The  clank  of  steel-scabbarded 
swords  against  horses'  flanks. 

"  It  is  the  men  we  passed  by  the  chapel," 
I  said,  "following  us  now.  Yet,  if  'tis  us 
they  seek,  why  not  stop  us  ere  we  left  the 
town?  They  could  do  as  much  against  us 
there  as  here." 

"They  were  but  three  then,"  the  lad 
answered,  calmly  as  though  he  were  count- 


262  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ing-  guineas  into  his  palm  instead  of  the 
hoof-beats  of  those  on-coming- horses;  "now 
there  are  more  —  half  a  dozen,  I  should  say. 
If  't  is  us  they  follow,  they  have  waited  to 
be  reinforced." 

And  I  felt  sure  that  he  had  guessed 
right,  since  the  very  thought  which  he 
expressed  had  already  risen  in  my  own 
mind. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    SECOND    FIGHT. 

We  had  entered  the  forest  five  minutes 
later,  and  be  very  sure,  we  wasted  no  more 
time  in  waiting  for  those  behind  to  come 
up,  since,  if  '  t  was  us  they  followed,  we 
might  as  well  be  in  its  shadow  as  in  the 
open.  For  if  we  were  outnumbered  the 
trees  themselves  would  afford  us  some 
shelter,  make  a  palisade  from  behind  which 
we  might  get  a  shot  at  them  if  '  t  was  too 
hot  for  a  hand-to-hand  encounter.  At  any 
rate,  I  had  sufficient  military  knowledge  to 
know  that 't  is  best  to  fight  against  unequal 
odds  with  a  base,  or  retreat,  to  fall  back  on, 
than  to  be  without  one. 

Yet  as  we  rode  into  this  forest  I  loos- 
ened my  blade  in  its  sheath,  and  felt  with  my 
thumb  to  see  that  the  priming  of  my  pis- 
tols was  ready;  also  bade  Juan  do  the  same; 
likewise  to  keep  behind  me  as  much  as 
might  be. 

"For,"  said  I,  "if  they  mean  attack  I 
will  give  them  no  chance  of  beginning  it. 
The  first  hostile  word,  and  I  force  my  horse 

263 


264  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

between  them,  cutting-  right  and  left,  and 
do  you  the  same,  following1  behind  me. 
Thereby  you  may  chance  to  take  off  those 
whom  I  miss." 

And  I  laughed — a  little  grimly,  perhaps 
—  as  I  spoke,  for  I  thought  that  if  there 
were,  indeed,  six  men  behind  us,  my  jour- 
ney toward  Flanders  was  already  as  good 
as  come  to  an  end.  Yet,  all  the  same,  I 
laug-hed,  for,  strang-e  thoug-h  it  may  seem  to 
those  who  have  never  known  the  delights 
of  crossed  steel,  a  fight  against  odds  had 
ever  an  exhilarating  effect  upon  me;  which 
was,  perhaps,  as  it  should  be  with  a  knight 
of  the  blade. 

Juan,  however,  did  not  laugh  at  all,  though 
he  told  me  he  would  follow  my  orders  to  the 
utmost,  and,  indeed,  was  so  silent  that  I 
asked  him  if  his  nerves  were  firm.  To 
which  he  replied  that  I  should  see  when  the 
moment  came. 

And  now  upon  the  crisp  night  air  we 
heard  the  clang  of  those  on-coming  hoofs 
ringing  nearer  and  nearer;  a  rough  or 
deadened  kind  of  sound  told  us  the  iron 
shoes  were  on  the  fallen  leaves  which  cov- 
ered all  the  track  from  where  the  wood  be- 
gan; the  scabbards  of  the  riders  flapped 
noisily  now  against  spur  and  horses' flanks; 
bridles  jangled  very  near. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     265 

Then  they  were  close  upon  us  —  five  of 
them  !  —  and  a  voice  called  out: 

"Halt,  there  1  You  are  Englishmen  — 
one  a  sailor  and  a  spy  passing  through 
the  land." 

"You  lie!"  rang  out  Juan's  voice,  in 
answer.  "  We  are  not  Englishmen." 

That  his  reply  in  fluent  Spanish  —  the 
Spanish,  too,  of  a  gentleman,  and  not  of  a 
common  night  patrol  —  astonished  them,  I 
could  see.  The  leader,  he  who  had  spoken, 
glanced  round  at  his  four  comrades,  and, 
an  instant  after,  spoke  again  : 

44  Who  are  you,  then,  and  why  does  not 
the  big  man  answer  ?  " 

"He  speaks  French.  I  am  Spanish. 
Molest  us  not." 

"  Molest !  Cuerpo  di  Baco!  We  are  in- 
formed you  are  English.  Produce  your 
papers ! " 

"  We  have  none.    They  are  lost." 

"  Ho  I  ho  1  ho !  "  the  leader  replied. 
•'  Very  well,  very  well.  'T  is  as  I  thought. 
That  man  is  English  ;  he  is  denounced  this 
night.  As  for  you,  the  accursed  English 
have  many  possessions  wherein  our  tongue 
is  spoken.  We  understand." 

And  he  gave,  as  I  supposed,  some  order, 
since  all  advanced  their  animals  a  few  paces 
nearer,  while,  as  they  did  so,  Juan  whis- 


266  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

pered  to  me  in  the  French:  "Be  ready, 
but  do  nothing-  yet." 

"  You  will  return  to  Chantada  with 
us,"  the  spokesman  said,  sitting-  his  horse 
quietly  enough,  yet  with  the  blade  of  his 
drawn  sword  glistening  in  the  moonbeams 
as  it  lay  across  the  creature's  neck  —  as,  I 
observed,  did  the  blades  of  all  the  others. 
"That  finishes  our  affair.  For  the  rest 
you  will  answer  to  the  Regidor." 

"  We  shall  not  return.    Our  way  lies  on." 

"So  be  it.  Then  we  must  take  you," 
and,  as  he  spoke,  I  saw  a  movement  of  his 
knee  —  of  all  their  knees  —  that  told  me 
they  meant  to  seize  us. 

And  I  knew  that  the  time  had  come. 

"At  them ! "  cried  Juan  at  the  same 
moment.  "Advance,  Mervan !  " 

A  touch  to  the  curb,  and  my  beast  fell 
back  —  't  was  a  good  animal,  that !  had,  I 
believe,  been  a  charger  in  its  day,  so  well 
it  seemed  to  know  its  work  —  then  a  free 
rein  and  another  touch  of  the  heel,  and  I 
was  amongst  them,  my  sword  darting  like 
lightning  around.  Also,  at  my  rear,  came 
the  jennet's  head ;  near  me  there  flashed 
the  steel  of  Juan's  lighter  weapon ;  and  in 
a  moment  we  had  crashed  through  them  — 
they  fell  away  on  either  side  of  us  like 
waves  from  a  ship's  forefoot !  —  fell  away 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  267 

for  a  moment,  though  closing  again  in  an 
instant. 

"Return  and  charge  !  "  I  cried  to  Juan, 
still  in  French.  "At  them  again !  See, 
one  has  got  his  quietus  already  !  "  As,  in- 
deed, he  had,  for  the  great  fellow  was  hang- 
ing over  his  horse's  neck,  in  a  limp  and  list- 
less fashion,  which  showed  that  he  was 
done  for.  But  now  those  four  closed  to- 
gether as  we  went  at  them,  Juan  stirrup 
to  stirrup  with  me  in  this  second  charge, 
and  our  tactics  had  to  be  changed.  We 
could  no  longer  burst  through  them,  so 
that  it  was  a  hand-to-hand  fight  now ;  they 
had  pistols  in  their  holsters,  but  no  chance 
to  use  them ;  they  could  not  spare  a  hand 
to  find  those  holsters  —  could  not  risk  our 
swords  through  their  unguarded  breasts ; 
wherefore  we  set  to  work,  blade  to  blade. 

We  should  have  won,  I  do  believe.  Al- 
ready I  had  thrust  through  and  through 
one  man's  arm  —  as  luck  would  have  it, 
'twas  not  the  sword  arm  —  already  they 
backed  before  our  rain  of  blows  and  cuts 
and  thrusts,  when,  by  untoward  fate,  my 
horse  stumbled  on  the  frosty  road  and  came 
down ;  came  down  upon  his  haunches,  slip- 
ping me  from  the  saddle  over  the  cantle  and 
so  to  the  earth  ;  then  regained  its  hind  legs 
once  more  and  dashed  out  from  the  fray. 


268  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

And  now  our  position  was  mighty  peril- 
ous. Above  I  saw  Juan  on  the  jennet  fenc- 
ing1 well  with  two  of  the  men  ;  over  me  were 
the  two  others  cutting  down  at  my  head, 
though,  since  by  God's  mercy  I  had  re- 
tained my  weapon,  their  blows  were  up  to 
now  unavailing.  Yet  I  knew  this  could  not 
be  for  long  —  nor  last  —  wherefore  I  cried  : 

"Save  yourself,  Juan,  save  yourself; 
disengage  and  flee." 

Under  my  own  blade,  under  those  two 
others  that  beat  upon  it  so  that  I  wondered 
it  shivered  not  in  my  hand,  I  saw  the  boy 
manfully  holding  his  own  —  once,  too,  I  saw 
him  rip  up  the  jerkin  of  one  of  his  oppo- 
nents, and  heard  the  latter  give  a  yell  of 
pain  — then,  "Great  God!"  I  thought, 
"  what  has  happened  now  ?  " 

For  there  was  a  fifth  man  upon  the  scene. 
A  man,  tall  and  stalwart,  mounted  on  a 
great,  big  boned,  black  horse,  who  had  sud- 
denly sprung  from  out  a  chestnut  copse  by 
the  side  of  the  track  ;  a  man  in  whose  hands 
there  gleamed  a  sword  that  a  second  later 
was  laced  and  entwined  with  those  attack- 
ing Juan ;  a  man  who  hurled  oaths  in  Span- 
ish and  French  at  them  —  I  heard  caram- 
bas  and  par  Dibs' s  and  other  words  — 
which  sounded  like  the  rolling  of  some  great 
cathedral  organ  as  they  came  from  his  deep 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  269 

throat — tonneres,  ventre-bleus  and  carrognes 
I  heard. 

Heavens !  who  was  this  man  who  beat 
back  those  others  as  a  giant  might  push 
back  a  handful  of  children  ;  whose  sword  — 
even  as  with  one  hand  he  grasped  Juan 
round  the  waist  —  went  through  an  adver- 
sary's neck  so  that  he  fell  groaning  upon 
me,  his  blood  spurting  as  if  from  a  spigot  ? 
Who  was  he  who  laughed  loud  and  long  as, 
with  one  accord,  all  those  still  alive  turned 
and  fled  back  upon  the  road  they  had  come? 
Fled,  leaving  us,  thanks  be  to  God  and  this 
new  arrival,  the  victors  of  the  fray. 

He  sat  his  horse  calmly  now,  looking 
after  their  retreating  figures,  his  great 
sombrero  slouched  across  his  face,  wiping 
his  blade  upon  the  coal-black  creature's 
mane ;  then,  as  their  figures  disappeared 
from  our  view,  he  said  in  French : 

"Warmer  work  this,  Senor  Belmonte, 
than  twanging  viols  and  singing  love  songs, 
ri*est-ce  pas?"  and  from  his  throat  there 
came  again  that  laugh. 

Glancing  up,  I  saw  that  which  caused 
me  to  start,  even  as  I  heard  Juan  say : 
"  You  !  You  here !  And  in  this  garb  ! "  — 
saw  that  which  made  me  wonder  if  I  had 
gone  demented.  For  this  man  who  had 
so  suddenly  come  to  our  rescue,  this  fine 


270  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

lame  whose  thrusts  had  won  the  fray  for 
us,  was  none  other  than  the  monk  I  had 
seen  on  board  La  Sacra  Familia^  the  holy 
man  known  there  as  Father  Jaime. 

And  swiftly  as  I  gazed  up  at  him  there 
came  to  my  recollection  old  Admiral  Hop- 
son's  suspicions  as  to  having-  seen  him  be- 
fore, also  the  imitation  pass  he  had  made 
across  the  table  with  the  quill  at  his 
brother-admiral,  and  his  words  : 

"'Twas  not  always  the  cowl  and  gown 
that  adorned  his  person  —  rather  instead 
the  belt  and  pistols  —  the  long,  servicea- 
ble rapier,  handy." 

What  did  it  mean  ? 

Ere  he  answered  either  Juan's  startled 
enquiries  or  my  stare  of  amazement,  which 
he  must  very  well  have  seen  in  the  moon's 
rays  as  I  regarded  him,  he  cantered  off 
after  my  horse,  which  was  standing  quietly 
in  the  forest  side  by  side  with  that  other 
animal  on  whose  neck  the  first  wounded 
man  had  fallen  —  he  was  now  lying  dead 
upon  the  ground  1  —  and  brought  both  back 
to  where  we  were,  leading  them  by  their 
reins. 

"  You  will  want  your  horse,  monsieur," 
he  said,  "  to  continue  your  journey.  Bon 
Dieu!  you  both  made  a  good  fight  of  it, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  271 

though  they  would  have  beaten  you  had  I 
not  come  up  at  the  moment." 

"Believe  us,  we  both  thank  you  more 
than  words  can  express,"  I  said,  while 
Juan  sat  his  jennet,  still  breathing  heavily 
from  his  exertions,  yet  peering  with  all  the 
power  of  those  bright  eyes  at  the  man  be- 
fore him,  "  but  your  appearance  is  so  dif- 
ferent from  what  it  was  when  last  we  met 
that  —  that  I  am  lost  in  amazement.  You 
were,  sir,  a  holy  monk  then." 

"  Cucullus  non  facit  monachum,"  he  re- 
plied, in  what  I  recognised  to  be  very  good 
Latin,  then  added,  with  a  laugh :  "  In  jour- 
neying through  dangerous  places  we  are 
not  always  what  we  seem  to  be.  To  wit: 
Monsieur  was  either  an  English  soldier  or 
sailor  when  I  saw  him  last  —  an  enemy  to 
Spain  and  France — hating  both,  as  I  should 
suppose.  Yet  now  he  is  a  private  gentle- 
man, and,  I  imagine,  desires  nothing  less 
than  that  his  real  position  should  be  known. " 

"But  you  —  you,"  Juan  interposed, 
"you  were  monk  from  the  first  moment  I 
set  eyes  on  you,  from  the  hour  when  we  left 
Hispaniola.  Are  you  not  one  ?  " 

"My  boy,"  he  said,  and  as  he  spoke  he 
touched  Juan  on  the  sleeve  as  they  both  sat 
their  horses  side  by  side  —  I  being  also 
mounted  again  by  this  time  —  "my  boy,  I 


272  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

replied  to  your  companion  just  now  with  a 
proverb.  I  answer  you  with  another : 
'Look  not  a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth.'  I 
have  saved  your  life,  at  least,  if  not  this 
gentleman's.  And " 

But  Juan  stammering  forth  some  words 
of  regret  for  the  curiosity  he  had  shown, 
he  stopped  him  with  still  another  touch  on 
the  sleeve,  and  said : 

"Briefly,  let  me  tell  this  :  I  had  reasons 
to  be  in  Spain,  to  quit  the  Indies  and  accom- 
pany the  galleons,  get  a  passage  by  some 
means.  It  suited  me  to  come  disguised  as 
a  monk;  there  was  no  other  way.  For, 
rightly  or  wrongly,  both  Spain  and  France 
are  my  enemies ;  in  my  own  proper  char- 
acter I  could  never  have  reached  here. 
Being  here,  I  am  still  in  danger  if  dis- 
covered ;  to  avoid  that  discovery  I  have 
now  doffed  the  monkish  garb,  so  that  all 
traces  of  me  are  lost.  Enough,  however; 
I  am  on  my  road  to  Lugo.  Does  your  way 
lie  the  same  road?" 

We  both  answered  that  it  did,  whereon 
he  said,  speaking  quickly  and,  as  I  noticed, 
in  the  tone  of  one  who  seemed  very  well 
used  to  issuing  orders,  as  well  as  accus- 
tomed to  deciding  for  himself  and  others: 

"So  be  it.  Let  us  ride  together  —  and 
at  once.  Every  moment  we  tarry  here 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  273 

makes  our  position  more  dangerous.  Those 
men  will  no  sooner  have  returned  to  Chan- 
tada  than  every  available  soldier  will  be 
sent  forward  to  arrest  us,  even  though  we 
be  in  Lugo  itself.  You  will  be  recognised 
without  doubt  if  you  stay  an  instant  in  the 
town.  Your  one  chance  is  to  get  into  it  and 
out  again  as  soon  as  may  be. 

"And  you?"  I  asked,  as  now  we  put 
spurs  to  our  horses  and  dashed  along  the 
forest  track.  "And  you?  If  any  of  those 
who  were  in  this  affray  return  with  the 
soldiers  you  speak  of,  it  will  be  hard  for 
you,  too,  to  escape  recognition.  Your  form 
cannot  be  disguised." 

"  It  will  be  disguised  again, "  he  answered 
very  quietly,  "when  I  have  once  more  re- 
sumed the  monk's  garb.     I  have  it  here," 
and  he  tapped  the  great  valise  strapped  on 
his  horse's  back.     "It  has  not  been  worn 
since  I  got  ashore  at  Vigo,  and  that 's  far 
behind  this  by  many  leagues.    There  are 
none  here  like  to  recognise  me." 
"  You  stay,  then,  in  Lugo  ?  " 
**  I  must  stay.     I  have  affairs." 
He  said  this  so  decidedly  that  we  neither 
of  us  ventured  to  ask  him  any  more  ques- 
tions, though,  a  moment  or  two  afterward, 
he  volunteered  to  us  the  statement  that,  if 
another  horse  he   had  previously  bought 


274  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

when  he  landed  at  Vigo  had  not  broken 
down,  he  would  long*  ere  this  have  been  in 
Lugo.  Only  the  finding  of  a  fresh  animal 
—  the  one  he  now  bestrode  —  had  taken  him 
some  time,  and  thereby  caused  him  to  be 
late  on  his  road,  which,  as  we  said  grate- 
fully enough,  was  fortunate  for  us. 

"  Ay, "  he  replied,  "  it  was  ;  and  also  that 
I  was  breathing  my  animal  in  the  forest  at 
the  time  those  others  overtook  you.  But, 
nom  d'un  chou  !  I  have  been  a  fighter  in  my 
day  myself,  and,  since  I  could  not  see  two 
men  set  upon  by  five,  my  old  instincts  were 
aroused;  though,"  he  added,  with  extreme 
sangfroid,  "had  it  been  an  even  fray,  I 
might  have  left  you  to  it." 

And  now  it  seemed  to  both  Juan  and  my- 
self as  though  this  man's  assistance  to  us 
necessitated  us  showing  some  confidence  in 
him  ;  wherefore,  very  briefly,  we  gave  him 
some  description  of  why  we  were  travelling 
together,  and  of  how,  because  Juan  had 
naught  else  of  much  importance  to  do  at  the 
outset  of  his  arrival  in  Europe,  he  had 
elected  to  be  my  companion  as  far  as 
Flanders. 

"  Humph  !  "  he  exclaimed  at  this,  "  he  is 
a  young  knight  errant,  as  I  told  him  oft 
enough  in  the  galleon,  when  he  talked  some 
rhodomontade  about  being  on  his  way  to 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  275 

Europe  to  seek  out  and  punish  a  villain  who 
had  wronged  him.  Well,  sir,  even  if  he 
finds  not  the  man,  he  is  likely  enough  to 
meet  with  sufficient  adventures  in  your 
company  ere  he  reaches  Flanders." 

"He  thinks  he  has  found  him  already," 
I  said  quietly,  in  reply. 

"  What !  "  and  he  turned  his  great  eyes 
on  both  of  us.  "Found  him.  Here  in 
Spain  !  "  and  he  laughed  incredulously. 

"He  thinks  nothing  of  the  kind,"  Juan 
cried  hotly,  roused  more,  I  thought,  by  that 
scornful  laugh  than  by  my  doubting  words. 
"  He  is  sure  of  it  I" 

And  then  he  told  the  whole  story  of  our 
having  seen  the  old  man's  coach  in  the  inn, 
of  the  black's  insolent  reply,  of  his  depart- 
ure at  night,  and  of  the  little  doubt  there 
could  be  that  he  it  was  who  had  betrayed  us 
to  the  people  of  Chantada ;  also  he  added  : 

"But  I  have  him.  Have  him  fast.  He 
is  but  a  league  or  so  ahead  of  us,  must  stop 
some  hours,  at  least,  in  Lugo.  And  then 
—  then,  James  Eaton,  look  to  yourself  1 " 

As  he  uttered  those  words  the  black 
horse  which  the  other  bestrode  plunged  for- 
ward, pricked,  as  I  thought,  by  some  unin- 
tentional movement  of  the  rider's  spur, 
while  that  rider  turned  round  in  his  saddle 


276  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  gazed  at  Juan,  his  face,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  livid  beneath  the  moonlight. 

"Who?  What  name  is  that  on  your 
lips?" 

**  The  name  of  a  damned  villain.  The 
name  of  James  Eaton." 

"  James  Eaton.  James  Eaton  —  what  is 
he  to  you,  then  ?  What  evil  has  he  done  to 
you  ?  " 

"What  evil?"  Juan  replied,  with  a  bit- 
ter laugh.  "  What  evil?  and  what  is  he  to 
me  ?  Only  this  :  He  was  left  guardian  to 
me  by  my  dead  father,  and  —  and  —  he  ill- 
treated  and  robbed  me.  No  more  than 
that  I " 

"  You  !  You  1  You  !  "  this  mysterious 
man  said,  his  hand  raised  to  his  eyebrows, 
his  dark,  piercing  eyes  gleaming  beneath 
that  hand  —  upon  his  face  a  look  I  could  not 
fathom.  "  You  !  " 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"THE  COWL  DOES  NOT  ALWAYS  MAKE  THE 

MONK." 

We  were  drawing-  very  near  to  Lugo 
now,  as  the  wintry  morning-  gave  sig-ns  of 
breaking;  already  the  great  spurs  and 
canons  of  the  mountains  that  flanked  the 
east  side  of  the  river  Minho  began  to  shape 
themselves  into  something  tangible  and 
distinct  from  the  dull  clouds  at  their  sum- 
mits, and  their  peaks  and  crags  to  stand 
out  clearly.  Also,  we  noticed  that  villages 
were  scattered  about  at  the  base  of  these 
mountains ;  observed  lights  twinkling  in 
the  windows  of  cottages,  and  passed  a 
bridge  which  spanned  the  river  and  car- 
ried on  a  road  that  led  from  that  east  side 
to  .the  western  one ;  a  road  with,  on  it,  a 
great  pedestal  of  rock,  serving,  as  others 
which  we  had  passed  had  served  us,  as  mile- 
stones and  finger-posts ;  a  road  leading,  as 
we  learnt,  from  another  Viana,  different 
from  the  one  in  Portugal  at  which  Juan 
and  I  had  landed  from  the  English  fleet. 

We  were  drawing  very  near. 

277 


278  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

For  the  last  two  or  three  hours  we  had 
ridden  almost  in  silence,  knee  to  knee,  all 
wrapped  in  our  long-  cloaks,  and  with  noth- 
ing- breaking1  in  upon  that  silence  but,  some- 
times, the  hoot  of  an  owl  from  out  the 
beeches  and  tamarisks  which  fring-ed  the 
road,  and  sometimes  the  scream  of  an 
eagle  far  up  in  the  mountains,  roused,  per- 
haps, from  his  eyrie  by  the  clang-  of  our 
animals'  hoofs  upon  the  hard-bound,  frosty 
earth. 

Yet  some  words  had  been  spoken,  too, 
ere  we  lapsed  into  this  silence  ;  for,  as  our 
friend  and  deliverer  had  exclaimed,  "  You  ! 
You ! "  on  hearing-  that  James  Eaton  had 
robbed  Juan  of  whatever  might  have  been 
left  in  his  care  by  the  lad's  dead  father, 
Juan  himself  had  quickly  exclaimed  : 

"  Is  he  known  also  to  you,  then  ?  " 

"  He  was  once,  long  ago  —  ay,  long  ago ! " 
Then  he  paused,  as  though  unwilling  to  tell 
more,  though,  a  moment  later,  he  said  : 

"And  now  you  think  he  is  ahead  of  us? 
—  that  we  shall  find  him  in  Lugo?  " 

"  Without  doubt,"  Juan  and  I  answered, 
both  speaking  together,  while  the  former 
went  on : 

"  He  must  halt  for  some  time  in  Lugo,  if 
only  to  get  a  change  of  horses." 

"  'Tis  my  belief,"  I  struck  in,  "he  will 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  279 

do  more  than  that.  Judging-  from  what  I 
learnt  of  him  in  the  ship  which  brought  us 
both  from  Holland,  Lugo  is  his  destination, 
the  end  of  his  journey." 

"Wherefore?"  the  man  who  had  been 
"  Father  Jaime  "  asked. 

"Because,"  I  replied,  "he  was  on  his 
way  to  Cadiz,  where,  he  thought,  as  all  did, 
that  the  galleons  were  going  in.  And  he 
told  me  in  a  frenzy,  when  he  learnt  that  the 
English  fleet  was  about  in  those  waters, 
that  he  had  a  fortune  on  board  two  of  the 
galleons.  Be  sure,  therefore,  he  would  fol- 
low them  up  to  Vigo  as  soon  as  he  could, 
after  being  put  ashore  at  Lagos  and  learn- 
ing that  much  of  the  treasure  had  been  set 
ashore  and  then  forwarded  on  to  Lugo " 

"  Would  follow  them  here  ?  "  the  other 
said.  "Ha!  Well,  then,  we  shall  surely 
meet,"  and  he  laughed  a  little,  very  quietly, 
to  himself.  "  Must  meet !  And  I  —  I  shall 
have  something  to  say  to  James  Eaton — 
shall  recall  myself  to  him.  He  will  be 
pleased  to  see  me  !  "  and  again  he  laughed 
—  though  this  time  the  laughter  sounded 
grimly. 

"I  also  shall  have  something  to  say  to 
him,"  exclaimed  Juan.  "  To " 

"Recall  yourself  to  him  also,"  the  other 
broke  in. 


280  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"Perhaps,"  the  boy  replied,  "perhaps. 
We  shall  see,  though  it  may  not  be  just  at 
first." 

"At  first,"  said  the  other,  taking  him 
up,  "let  me  present  myself.  I  assure  you 
't  will  be  best.  Let  me  put  in  my  claim  to 
his  attention.  Then  you  can  follow  suit." 

"And  I,"  I  exclaimed,  speaking  now.  "I, 
too,  have  something  to  settle  with  Mr.  James 
Eaton,  if  that  be  his  name.  I  owe  it  to  him 
that  my  journey  to  Flanders  has  been  in- 
terrupted by  that  scene  upon  the  road,  owe 
it  to  him  that  I  ran  a  very  fair  chance  of 
never  continuing  that  journey  further  than 
a  couple  of  leagues  this  side  of  Chantada. 

I  believe,  too,  that  it  was  he  who  drew 
the  attention  of  a  French  ship  of  war  to  the 
vessel  which  was  carrying  me  and  my  in- 
telligence to  Cadiz,  as  then  supposed." 

"How?"  asked  the  ex-monk,  "and 
why?" 

"The  reason  wherefore,"  I  replied, 
"might  be  because  he  suspected  my  mis- 
sion in  some  way.  The  manner  in  which 
he  let  the  French  ship  know  of  our  where- 
abouts was  probably  by  leaving  open  the 
dead  light  of  his  cabin  when  he  lay  drink- 
ing, while  all  the  others  were  closed  so  as 
to  avoid  her.  Oh !  be  sure,"  I  continued, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  281 

"when  you  two  have  done  with  him  I  shall 
have  an  account  also  to  make." 

"We  are  three  avengers,"  the  other  re- 
plied, with  still  that  grim  laugh  of  his. 
"James  Eaton  will  have  other  things  to 
think  of  besides  getting  back  his  treasure 
at  Lugo,  if  it  is  there ;  for,  when  Senor 
Belmonte  and  myself  and  you  have  finished 
with  him  —  sir,"  he  said,  breaking  off 
and  regarding  me,  "I  do  not  know  your 
name,  how  to  designate  you.  What  may 
it  be?" 

"My  name,"  I  replied,  "is  Mervyn 
Crespin.  May  I  ask  by  what  we  are  to  ad- 
dress you  ?  At  present,  at  least,  you  do  not 
style  yourself  'Father  Jaime,'  I  appre- 
hend." 

"  Nay, "  he  said.  "  Nay  —  not  until  I  don 
the  cowl  again.  But,  see,  none  of  us,  I 
should  suppose,  are  desirous  of  travelling 
through  this  hostile  country,  entering  this 
town  of  Lugo,  which  may  bristle  with  dan- 
gers to  all  of  us,  under  our  right  names. 
Therefore  —  though  even  thus  'tis  not  de- 
sirous that  these  names  should  be  spoken 
more  often  than  needs  —  I  will  be  Senor 
Jaime.  There  are  Jaimes  for  second  names, 
as  well  as  first." 

"And,  "exclaimed  Juan,  entering  at  once 
into  the  spirit  of  the  matter,  "there  are 


282  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Juans  for  second  names  as  well  as  first,  also. 
Therefore  I  will  be  Senor  Juan." 

"  And  I,"  I  said,  "since  I  pretend  to  speak 
no  Spanish,  but  am  supposed  to  be  a  French- 
man, will  be  Monsieur  Crespin.  That  is  a 
French  name,  as  well  as  English.  There 
are  scores  of  Crespins  in  Maine  and  Anjou 
—  'tis  from  there  we  came  originally. 
'Twill  do  very  well." 

So,  this  understanding  arrived  at,  we 
rode  on  afterward  in  that  silence  which  I 
have  told  you  of. 

But  now  it  was  full  day,  cold,  crisp  and 
bright,  with  the  sun  topping  the  mountains 
to  our  left  and  sending  down  fair,  warm 
beams  athwart  the  river,  which  served  to 
put  some  life  into  us,  as  well  as  a  little  ex- 
tra heat  besides  that  which  the  motion  of 
our  horses  and  the  glow  of  their  bodies 
had  hitherto  afforded  us. 

Also,  we  had  left  the  forest  now  and  en- 
tered a  great  plain  which  rolled  away  to  the 
west  of  those  mountains,  and  of  the  river 
which  brawled  and  splashed  at  their  base; 
a  plain  that  in  summer  was,  doubtless, 
covered  with  all  the  rich  vegetation  for 
which  the  north  of  Spain  is  famed,  but  that 
now  stretched  bare  as  the  palm  of  a  hand, 
and  recalled  to  my  mind  the  fair  Weald  of 
Kent  when  winter's  icy  grip  is  on  it.  Yet 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  283 

't  was  well  covered  with  villages,  some 
close  together,  some  a  league  or  two 
leagues  apart,  and,  under  where  the  last 
spurs  of  the  Cantabrian  mountains  swept 
round  directly  to  the  west,  we  saw  rise  be- 
fore us  the  high  walls  of  a  town,  with  above 
them  an  incredible  amount  of  towers  —  we 
making  out  between  twenty  and  thirty  of 
these  as  each  stride  of  our  animals  brought 
us  nearer  to  them. 

"That,"  said  Senor  Jaime  —  as  he  was 
now  to  be  called  —  though  God  only  knew 
what  his  right  name  wasl  —  while  our  eyes 
regarded  it  from  still  afar,  "must  be  Lugo. 
Now  let  us  decide  for  our  plan  of  action. 
And,  first,  as  to  getting  into  it." 

"Do  you  make  your  entry,"  I  asked, 
"as  a  gentleman  travelling  through  the 
land,  or  as  priest  —  monk?  " 

"As  monk!  "he  replied.  "So  best!  I 
have  other  affairs  here,  besides  the  desire  of 
meeting  my  old  friend,  Eaton.  Now,  ob- 
serve, this  is  what  I  propose:  You  shall 
go  first  together — you  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  getting  in,  seeing  that  there  is  no 
frontier  to  cross.  Nor  will  you  be  asked 
for  papers,  since,  once  in,  you  will  not  get 
out  again  unless  you  appear  satisfactory  to 
those  who  are  there." 

"We  must  get  out  again  after  a  short 


284  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

rest,  after  a  few  hours,  "I  replied.  "I  make 
no  manner  of  doubt  that  by  now  we  are 
followed  from  Chantada  —  if  those  who  are 
behind  us  reach  Lugo  ere  we  have  quitted 
it,  we  shall  be  stopped  beyond  all  doubt.'* 

Senor  Jaime  paused  a  moment  ere  he 
answered ;  pondering-,  doubtless,  on  this 
being  the  case.  Then,  speaking  slowly, 
he  said : 

"If  —  if  —  'twere  possible  that  you," 
looking  at  me,  "and  you,"  regarding  Juan, 
"  could  also  enter  the  town  disguised;  could 
appear  as  something  vastly  different  from 
what  you  are,  you  would  be  safe;  we  would 
remain  together.  And — and  —  that  would 
please  me.  We  must  not  part,  having  met 
as  we  have  done,"  and  his  eyes  rested  par- 
ticularly upon  Juan  as  he  spoke,  so  that  I 
felt  sure  he  would  far  less  willingly  part 
with  him  than  with  me;  that  it  was  of  this 
bright,  handsome  boy  he  was  thinking 
most. 

"I,"  exclaimed  Juan,  "would,  above 
all  other  things  but  one — that  one  the  not 
parting  company  with  Mervan,  my  friend !" 
— how  softly  he  murmured  those  words, 
"my  friend!"  —  "stay  here.  For  I  am 
resolved  to  bring  to  bar  that  villain,  James 
Eaton.  But  how — how  to  do  it?  How  to 
enter  the  town  disguised?  We  do  not 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   285 

travel  with  masks  and  vizards,  nor  could 
we  assume  them  an  we  did.  Also,  how 
to  change  our  appearance  sufficiently  to  be 
unrecognised  by  any  of  those  behind  ?  " 

"  For  him,"  said  Senor  Jaime,  address- 
ing1 Juan,  but  looking  at  me,  "'tis  easy 
enough.  I  can  help  him  to  change  himself 
in  a  moment.  I  have  here,"  and  he  tapped 
the  great  valise  strapped  on  to  his  horse's 
back,  "a  second  monk's  gown,  of  another 
order  than  the  one  I  wore  —  that  was  a 
Carmelite's  and,  as  you  know,  brown;  the 
second  is  a  Dominican's,  and  white.  The 
object  which  brings  me  to  Europe  —  later 
you  shall  know  it  —  if  it  prospers,  forced 
me  to  provide  myself  with  more  than  one 
disguise." 

Then  after  pausing  a  moment,  perhaps 
to  judge  of  the  effect  of  this  announcement 
on  us,  he  went  on:  "  Well,  Monsieur  Cres- 
pin!  What  do  you  say?  Will  you  be  a 
monk  and  stay  with  Juan  till  he  has  seen 
his  beloved  friend,  James  Eaton,  or  will 
you  insist  on  his  abandoning  his  interview 
with  that  personage  and  riding  post-haste 
to  Flanders  ?  Only  remember,  if  he  and 
you  do  so,  or  if  you  do  this  alone,  the 
chance  is  also  missed  of  your  having  a  reck- 
oning with  that  old  man  also." 

Now  I  was  sorely  posed  by  this  sugges- 


286  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tion  of  his  —  sorely.  For,  firstly,  there  was 
something-  bitterly  distasteful  to  me,  a 
soldier  and,  I  hoped,  a  brave  one,  in  mas- 
querading1 in  any  such  guise  as  this  sug- 
gested. Also,  I  knew  that  it  ill  became  me 
to  tarry  on  my  journey  back  for  any  cause 
whatever,  let  alone  a  new  formed  friend- 
ship for  Juan  Belmonte.  My  place  was 
with  the  Cuirassiers,  and  with  them  I  ought 
to  be  —  both  the  earls  having-  hinted  that 
there  would  be  some  hard  fighting  ere  long- 
—  while,  as  for  revenging  myself  on  the 
villain  whose  name  now  seemed  for  a  cer- 
tainty to  be  Eaton,  well !  that  might  easily 
be  left  to  Senor  Jaime  and  Juan.  If  they 
did  not  between  them  very  effectually  con- 
found that  hoary-headed  scoundrel,  I  should 
be  much  astonished. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  were  many 
thing's  that  made  for  my  disguising  myself 
ere  I  entered  Lugo,  and,  rapidly  enough  as 
I  sat  my  horse  deliberating,  those  things 
ran  through  my  mind.  To  begin  with,  it 
would  be  full  of  Spanish  and  French  sol- 
diers and  sailors,  the  runaways  from  Vigo, 
who,  undoubtedly,  would  have  followed  the 
bulk  of  the  treasure  which  had  been  re- 
moved from  the  galleons  and  transported 
here  ;  and  it  was  possible  that  there  might 
be  some  who  would  recognise  me,  since  I 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  287 

had  played  a  pretty  prominent  part  in  the 
attack.  It  might,  therefore,  be  best  that 
—  little  as  this  disguising-  of  myself  was  to 
my  taste  —  I  should  do  as  Senor  Jaime  sug- 
gested. 

Yet,  all  the  same  —  and  in  the  next  mo- 
ment—  I  decided  that  I  would  not  do  this 
thing ;  for,  besides  that  it  was  too  repug- 
nant to  me,  I  knew  that  it  would  be  use- 
less. And,  knowing  this,  I  said  so,  in  spite 
of  the  pleading,  pitiful  glances  which  Juan 
cast  at  me  —  glances  which  plainly  enough 
implored  me  to  adopt  the  monk's  dress,  and 
thereby  be  enabled  to  stay  in  Lugo  until 
vengeance  was  wrought  upon  James  Eaton. 

"No,"  I  said,  turning  to  Senor  Jaime, 
who  sat  quietly  on  my  horse  awaiting  my 
answer,  while  I  studiously  avoided  Juan's 
gaze.  "No,  I  will  not  do  it.  I  am  a  sol- 
dier, and  as  a  soldier  —  at  least  as  a  man, 
and  not  a  monk  —  I  will  get  through  Spain 
and  France.  Besides,  the  disguise  would 
be  useless." 

"Wherefore?" 

"In  reply  to  that,"  I  said,  "let  me  ask 
you  a  question  :  What  do  you  intend  to  do 
with  your  horse?  Monks  do  not  ride,  as 
a  rule  —  in  Flanders  I  never  saw  one  on 
horseback ;  also,  your  boots  and  great  steel 
spurs  beneath  the  gown  would  betray  you." 


288  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Now,  he  seemed  very  fairly  posed  at 
this,  and  for  a  moment  bent  his  head 
over  his  animal's  mane,  as  though  lost  in 
thought.  Then  suddenly  he  burst  out  into 
one  of  his  deep,  sonorous  laughs,  and  ex- 
claimed : 

"Body  of  St.  lago  !  I  never  thought  of 
that.  Though,  for  the  boots,  it  matters  not ; 
I  have  the  monkish  sandals  with  me.  And 
— and  —  perhaps  the  horse  can  be  smuggled 
into  the  town  somehow,  and  with  it  the 
boots  !  Ha !  I  must  think  1 " 

And  again  he  became  buried  in  thought ; 
yet,  a  moment  later,  he  spoke  once  more : 

"If  you  enter  Lugo  as  you  are,"  he 
said,  "you  will  be  taken  for  a  certainty. 
There  are  —  there  must  be  —  many  com- 
ing after  us  from  behind,  from  Chantada 
—  they  will  describe  you.  Remember,  you 
were  not  only  seen  under  the  moon's  rays 
during  the  fight  in  the  wood,  but  in  the 
town  previously.  And,  if  you  are  taken, 
there  is  no  hope  for  you  !  Eaton  has  told 
that  you  are  English  —  fought  against  the 
galleons  at  Vigo.  God  !  it  means  the  gar- 
rote  for  both  of  you.  You  understand 
what  that  is  ?  An  upright  post,  a  hasp  of 
iron  around  your  neck  and  it,  a  wheel  to 
screw  that  hasp  tight  to  the  post  —  with 
your  neck  between  them  I  —  and  —  and — < 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  289 

your  eyeballs  out  of  your  head  —  your 
tongue  half  a  foot  long.  That  is  what 
awaits  you  if  you  are  taken." 

"I  will  never  be  taken,"  I  said,  between 
my  teeth,  "  to  suffer  that.  Bah  1  If  I  can- 
not, if  we  cannot,  get  out  of  the  town  again 
on  the  other  side,  have  I  not  this,  and 
this  ?  "  and  I  touched  my  pistol  holsters. 
"  They  will  be  in  my  belt  then." 

After  saying  which  I  turned  to  Juan  to 
ask  him  if  he  agreed  with  me,  and  saw  that 
Senor  Jaime's  ghastly  description  of  the 
garrote  had  made  him  as  pale  as  death. 

"What  think  you,  comrade?"!  asked. 
"Is  it  not  best  that  you  and  I  forego  our 
vengeance  on  this  man,  Eaton,  and  push  on 
as  fast  as  may  be,  leaving  him  to  our  friend 
here,  who  also  seems  to  have  a  reckoning  to 
make  —  who  appears,  also,  one  who  can  ex- 
tort it  ?  Or  will  you  disguise  yourself  and 
stay  behind  ?  " 

"Nay.  Nay,"  he  answered.  "Where 
you  go,  I  go.  And  —  God  knows  I  am  no 
poltroon  —  yet  —  yet  —  I  could  not  suffer 
that.  I  have  seen  it  in  the  Indies  —  oh!" 
and  he  put  his  hands  to  his  eyes,  letting 
his  reins  fall.  "  Not  that,  not  that !  " 

"  Will  you  push  on  with  me,  then,  fore- 
going your  vengeance?" 

"  Yes.     Yes,  since  my  vengeance  risks 


290  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

such  death  as  that.  But,"  turning  to  the 
other,  "you  proposed  a  disguise  for  me. 
Was  I  to  be  a  monk,  too?  " 

"Nay,"  he  said.  "Nay.  But  you  are 
a  brave,  handsome  lad  —  I  thought  that  in 
some  way  we  might  have  transformed  you 
into  a  woman.  You  would  make  a  present- 
able one." 

"A  woman!"  he  echoed,  looking  mighty 
hot  and  raging  at  the  suggestion.  "A 
woman  !  —  I,  who  have  fought  by  Mervan's 
side!  Never.  Also,"  he  added,  after 
somewhat  of  a  pause,  "  it  is  not  as  a  woman 
that  I  intend  to  meet  James  Eaton,  if  at  all; 
but  as  a  man  demanding  swift  justice.  A 
woman  would  be  like  to  get  none  of  that 
from  him." 


CHAPTER  XXL 

A  NARROW   ESCAPE. 

That  evening  —  or  rather  afternoon, 
when  already  the  wintry  night  was  at  hand 
—  Juan  and  I  were  in  Lugo  and  once  more 
making  preparations  to  continue  our  jour- 
ney —  to  go  on  west  now,  through  the  Astu- 
rias,  Santander  and  Biscay,  as  our  chart 
showed  us,  toward  St.  Sebastian  and  Ba- 
yonne,  which  would  bring  us  into  France. 
But  also  we  hoped  that,  after  we  had  passed 
by  the  former  of  these  provinces,  on  reach- 
ing the  sea,  which  we  should  then  do,  our 
journey  by  land  might  be  at  an  end ;  that 
we  might  find,  by  great  good  fortune,  at 
some  seaside  town  a  vessel,  either  English 
or  Dutch,  which  would  take  us  north  to 
where  we  desired  to  go. 

But,  alas  !  't  is  useless  to  write  down  all 
the  plans  we  concocted  in  the  dirty  parlour 
of  the  inn  we  had  rested  in  —  an  inn  digni- 
fied by  the  name  of  the  "  Posada  del  Gran 
Grifon,"  since  'twas  not  to  be  our  lot  to 
make  that  journey,  nor  to  set  out  upon  it. 

Let  me    not,  however,  anticipate,   but 

291 


292  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

write  down  all  that  now  befell  us  ;  also  let 
me  now  begin  to  tell  of  the  strange  marvels 
that  I  was  destined  to  behold  the  unravel- 
ling of,  as  also  the  dangers  which  from  this 
period  encompassed  me. 

We  were  alone,  had  entered  Lugo  alone, 
Senor  Jaime  having  bidden  us  ride  ahead  of 
him  and  leave  him  to  find  his  way  into  the 
town  by  himself. 

"And,"  he  said,  "be  very  sure  I  shall 
do  it.  Fear  not  for  me.  Only,  if  I  come 
not  by  the  time  four  o'clock  has  struck,  be- 
lieve that  either  I  have  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy  or  that,  for  some  reason,  I 
have  not  been  able  to  get  face  to  face  with 
Eaton.  Therefore,  ride  on  without  me. 
Remember  my  disguise  will  save  me.  You 
have  both  refused  to  be  disguised.  By 
consequence,  look  to  yourselves.  We  shall 
meet  again.  I  know  your  road. " 

And  now  four  o'clock  had  struck  from 
the  cathedral  hard  by,  and  he  had  not  come. 
Yet,  why  not?  we  asked  each  other.  A 
peasant  whom  we  had  met  on  the  road  when 
but  a  league  between  us  and  Lugo  had  men- 
tioned this  inn  as  one  where  good  accommo- 
dation for  man  and  beast  could  be  obtained, 
and  ere  we  parted  from  Jaime  we  had  de- 
termined that  it  should  be  our  meeting 
place. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  293 

And  still  he  had  not  come.  And  it  was 
four  o'clock  and  past. 

"We  must  go,"  I  said  to  Juan,  "we 
must  go.  'Tis  courting-  frightful  danger 
to  remain  here.  Already  I  have  observed 
half  a  dozen  French  and  Spanish  sailors 
pass  this  window,  whom  I  saw  on  board 
some  of  the  ships  and  galleons  ;  also  some 
officers.  If  I  meet  them  face  to  face,  and 
they  remember  me,  as  I  do  them,  there 
will  be " 

"What?"  asked  Juan,  his  face  full  of 
terror. 

"  Well  —  no  Mervyn  Crespin  a  few 
hours  hence  I  that's  all." 

"Oh,  come,  come,  come,"  he  exclaimed, 
catching-  at  my  arm.  "For  God's  sake, 
come !  Why,  why  did  we  ever  enter  this 
town  !  'T  was  madness.  We  should  have 
remembered  they  had  fled  hither." 

"  There  is  no  other  high  road  to  France 
and  Flanders,"  I  said,  "that  justifies  the 
risk.  Yet,  Juan,  remember,  even  now  it 
is  not  too  late  for  you  to  part  from  me,  if 
you  choose.  Your  coming  on  here  means 
nothing.  You  did  not  fight  against  the  gal- 
leons ;  therefore  you  are  in  no  danger " 

"Silence!"  he  said  again,  as  he  had 
said  once  before.  "Silence!  I  will  hear 
no  word  about  leaving  you." 


294  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Then  suddenly  he  came  away  from  the 
window,  at  which  he  had  been  standing-,  and 
crossed  the  room  to  me. 

"  Look,"  he  said.  "  Look  from  out  that 
window  into  the  street ;  then  say  if  it  is  not 
too  late  for  us  to  part  —  if  my  danger  is  not 
as  great  as  yours.  Look,  I  say  I  " 

Glancing  first  at  him,  in  wonderment  at 
his  exclamation,  and  what  the  meaning  of  it 
might  be,  yet  with  some  sort  of  under- 
standing mounting  to  my  brain  also,  I 
stepped  across  to  the  dirty,  unwashed 
window  and  looked  out  into  the  street. 

And  then  I  understood. 

Through  the  dim  light  cast  on  the  now 
darkened  street  by  oil  lamps,  swung  across 
it  at  intervals,  and  also  by  the  candles  burn- 
ing in.  relicdrios,  set  into  the  walls,  as  well 
as  by  the  feeble  glare  which  emerged  from 
curtainless  and  unshuttered  windows,  I  saw 
a  band  of  men  slowly  passing,  their  drawn 
swords  in  their  hands,  or  with  musketoons 
upon  their  shoulders. 

And  ahead  of  all  this  body,  which  was 
composed  of  perhaps  a  dozen,  there  marched 
two  of  those  with  whom  we  had  fought  on 
the  road  between  Chantada  and  this  place 
—  the  leader  who  had  addressed  us,  and 
another.  As  they  passed  along  they  gazed 
at  each  man  whom  they  encountered  ;  halt- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  295 

ing  opposite  our  window,  they  looked  at  an 
inn  which  faced  ours  directly,  a  little  place 
on  which  was  painted  the  name,  "  P6sada 
Buena  Ventura." 

"Open  the  window  a  crack,"!  said  to 
Juan  —  doing  so  myself,  however,  as  I 
spoke — "and  let  us  listen.  Hear  what 
they  say.  Softly,  "and  following-  my  words 
we  placed  our  ears  to  the  inch-wide  orifice. 

And  then  we  heard  every  word  as  it  fell 
from  their  lips. 

"That  house  opposite,"  the  leader  said, 
is  the  last  to  be  examined  except  this  and 
another  "  —  while  Juan  whispered  :  "I  can- 
not catch  its  name  —  It  sounds  like  the 
San  Cristobal.  Yes.  Yes.  'T  is  that.  Ha! 
And,  see,  they  enter  the  house  opposite. 
Yet  some  remain  in  the  street."  And  we 
both  peered  from  behind  the  side  of  the 
window  at  them  as  they  stood  there  in 
the  road,  a  crowd  of  urchins  gathered 
round. 

"We  are  trapped,"  I  said,  "trapped. 
We  can  never  get  out.  The  horses  are  in 
the  stables  behind  —  also,  the  gates  are 
shut." 

"God!"  exclaimed  Juan,  suddenly, 
even  as  I  spoke,  "  they  have  finished  there 
already  —  are  coming  here.  Another  five 
minutes  and  they  will  be  in  this  room." 


296  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"What  shall  we  do?  "he  wailed  a  mo- 
ment later. 

"Escape  while  there  is  time  —  from  this 
room,  at  least.  Loosen  your  sword  in  its 
sheath  —  follow  me,"  and  I  drew  him  back 
from  the  window. 

"  But  where  ?    Where  to  go  to  ?  " 

"Out  of  the  house,  at  least.  Come. 
The  stairs  lead  down  to  the  back  part  of 
the  house ;  there  is  the  yard  and  the  sta- 
bles—  also  a  garden.  I  observed  it  when 
the  horses  were  put  up.  Come.  There  is 
a  wall  at  the  end  of  the  garden  which  sep- 
arates it  from  another.  If  we  can  get  over 
that  we  can  at  least  escape  into  the  town. 
By  God's  grace,  there  may  be  some  way 
out  of  it  besides  the  gates.  And  we  have 
the  cloak  of  night  to  help  us." 

All  the  time  I  was  speaking  I  had  been 
drawing  Juan  toward  the  door  ;  also  I  had 
seen  that  my  papers  and  money  were  be- 
stowed about  me  safely  —  I  doubted  if  we 
should  ever  see  our  valises  again  !  —  or,  for 
the  matter  of  that,  our  horses.  It  would  be 
heaven's  providence  now  if  we  ever  got 
out  of  this  town  alive,  and  even  that  I 
deemed  unlikely.  And  at  this  crisis  that 
was  all  we  had  to  hope  for,  if  so  much. 

"Lift  your  porte  epee  by  the  hand,"  I 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  297 

whispered.     "If  the  scabbard    clanks  on 
the  stairs  we  are  undone.     Follow  me." 

In  another  instant  we  were  outside  the 
door  of  the  room.  For  precaution  and  as  a 
possible  means  of  gaining  time  I  drew  the 
key  from  the  inside  of  the  lock,  then  placed 
it  in  the  keyhole  outside,  made  a  turn  and, 
again  withdrawing  it,  dropped  it  into  my 
pocket.  This  would  take  up  some  moments, 
while  they  clamoured  without,  bidding  us 
open.  It  would  take  some  few  more  to 
break  down  the  door,  which  they  would 
very  probably  do.  They  might  be  precious 
moments  to  us. 

It  was  quite  dark  outside  in  the  corridor, 
but  at  the  farther  end  there  glimmered  a 
faint  light  from  an  oil  lamp  set  upon  a 
bracket,  though  its  rays  scarcely  reached 
here,  namely,  to  the  head  of  the  deep  oak 
stairs  opposite  where  the  door  of  the  room 
we  had  just  quitted  was.  But  from  below, 
which  was  a  stone-flagged  passage  running 
from  the  front  of  the  house  to  the  back, 
there  was  another  light  —  thank  God,  'twas 
nearer  the  street  than  the  exit  to  the  yard  ! 

We  descended  seven  steps,  then  the 
stairs  turned  sharply  from  a  small  landing 
—  we  ourselves  did  not  dare,  however,  to 
turn  them. 

For  below,  in  that  cold  stone  corridor. 


298  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

we  heard  and  recognised  the  voice  of  the 
man  who  had  challenged  us  in  the  forest  ere 
the  fight  began,  a  night  ago. 

"Here,  are  they?"  we  heard  him  say. 
' '  Here  —  so  the  birds  are  caught.  The  one, 
big,  stalwart,  brown  —  that  is  the  English 
demonio  —  the  other,  younger,  dark,  hand- 
some, might  play  the  lover  in  one  of  Vega's 
spectacles.  Ha !  And  the  third  who  joined 
in  the  murder  —  an  elder  one,  swart  and 
grimy,  black  as  the  devil  himself  —  is  he 
here,  too?" 

"Nay,"  said  the  woman,  whose  voice 
told  us  she  was  the  landlady,  "there  are 
but  two,  the  bronzed  one  and  the  youth. 
You  will  not  hurt  him !  Nay!  Nay!  Didst 
he  is  young  and  beautiful." 

"  Have  no  fear.  We  will  not  hurt  either, 
if  they  do  not  resist.  If  they  do,  we  shall 
cut  them  down.  But — otherwise — no!  no!" 
and  he  laughed  a  fierce,  hard  laugh.  "  Oh, 
no.  There  are  others  to  hurt  them  —  the 
governor,  the  Regidors,  the  judges.  Ho ! 
They  will  hurt  them  through  the  garrote — 
or  —  or  —  the  flames.  Thebrasero!  The 
wheel  I  Now  lead  up  to  them.  Where  is 
the  room  they  harbour  in  ?  " 

"I  will  fetch  another  lamp,"  the  woman 
said.  "This  one  is  fixed.  Wait."  And 
we  heard  her  clatter  down  the  corridor  on 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  299 

her  Spanish  pattens.  Yet  she  paused,  too, 
a  moment,  and  turned  back,  saying : 

"  Spare  him  —  the  young  one.  Heavens ! 
his  lips  and  eyes  are  enough  to  madden  an 
older  woman  than  I  am." 

"Quick,  then,  quick,"  the  other  an- 
swered. "  They  sleep  in  the  prison  to- 
night, and  our  supper  waits  at  the  gate- 
house. Quick." 

"Shall  we  dash  through  them?"  Juan 
whispered ;  and  now  I  noticed  that,  as  be- 
fore in  the  hour  of  danger,  his  voice  was 
firm  and  steady.  "  One  might  escape  even 
though  the  other  is  taken."  And  I  heard 
him  mutter,  in  even  lower  tones:  "Pray 
God  it  is  you." 

"No,"  I  said.  "No.  We  go  together. 
Together  escape  or  —  die. " 

Then,  even  as  I  spoke,  I  saw  what  I  had 
not  observed  before,  owing  to  the  dim  light 
in  which  all  was  surrounded  ;  saw  that  op- 
posite to  us  on  the  landing  —  where  the 
stairs  turned  —  there  was  a  door.  Closed 
tight  into  its  frame,  't  was  true,  yet  leading 
doubtless  into  some  'room  opening  off  the 
stairs  which  led  up  to  the  other  one  we 
had  quitted. 

I  was  near  enough  to  put  my  foot  out 
quietly  and  touch  it  with  my  toe  and  —  God 
be  praised  1  —  it  yielded,  opened  inward. 


300  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"Into  it,"  I  said  in  Juan's  ear,  "into  it. 
They  will  pass  it  as  they  go  up  to  where 
we  have  come  from.  When  they  have  done 
so  we  may  creep  down.  In!" 

A  moment  later  we  had  entered  that 
room,  had  quitted  the  stairs  —  and  the 
woman  had  come  back  and  rejoined  the 
men,  was  leading-  them  up  those  very 
stairs,  across  the  very  spot  where  a  few 
instants  before  we  had  been  standing. 

Yet  our  hearts  leapt  to  our  mouths  — 
mine  did,  I  know'.  —  when  we  who  were 
standing  on  the  other  side  of  the  door  heard 
him  stop  outside  it,  and,  striking  the  panel 
with  his  finger  —  the  rap  of  his  nail  upon  it 
was  clearly  perceptible  to  our  eager  ears  — 
say  to  the  woman: 

"Is  this  the  room  —  are  they  here?  " 

The  woman  gave  a  low  laugh  in  answer ; 
then  she  said: 

"Nay.  Nay.  'T  is  mine.  'By  the  saints ! 
what  should  they  do  there!  That  hand- 
some IngUs,  devil  though  he  be!  —  or  that 
lovely  boy?  Heavens,  no!"  and  again  she 
laughed,  and  added:  "Come.  They  are 
here.  Up  these  stairs." 

Even  as  we  heard  their  heavy,  spurred 
feet  clatter  on  those  stairs  we  were  seeking 
for  some  mode  of  escape,  and  that  at  once. 

Alas !  't  was  not  to  be  out  of  the  door 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     301 

again  and  down  into  the  stone  passage,  as 
we  had  thought. 

For  one  glance  through  a  great  crack, 
and  we  saw,  by  peering  down  below,  that 
these  Spanish  alguazils  had  some  method 
in  their  proceedings.  They  had  left  two 
of  their  number  behind  ;  they  stood  in  the 
passage  waiting  for  what  might  happen 
above ;  waiting,  perhaps,  to  hew  down  the 
two  fugitives  whom  those  others  were  seek- 
ing for,  should  they  rush  down ;  waiting 
for  us.  There  was  no  way  there  ! 

Then,  for  the  room  —  what  did  that 
offer? 

It  was  as  dark  as  a  vault  —  we  could  dis- 
tinguish nothing  —  not  even  where  the  bed 
was —  at  first.  Yet,  later,  in  a  few  mo- 
ments—  while  we  heard,  above,  the  rap- 
ping of  sword  hilts  upon  the  door  of  the 
chamber  we  had  just  quitted  —  while  we 
heard,  too,  the  leader  shouting :  "  Open. 
Open  —  Bandidos  1  Assassinatdres  I  Espias  1 
or  we  will  blow  the  lock  off" — we  saw  at 
the  end  of  the  room  a  dull  murky  glimmer, 
a  light  that  was  a  light  simply  in  contrast 
to  the  denser  gloom  around  —  knew  there 
was  a  window  at  that  end. 

Was  that  our  way  out  ? 

Swiftly  we  went  toward  it  —  tore  aside 
a  curtain  drawn  across  a  bar  —  the  noise 


302  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

the  ring's  made  as  they  ran  seemed  enough 
to  alarm  those  men  above,  must  have  done 
so  but  for  the  infernal  din  they  themselves 
were  making-  —  opened  the  lattice  window 

—  and,  heaven  help  us  ! — found  outside  an 
iron,    interlaced    grate    that    would    have 
effectually  barred  the  exit  of  aught  bigger 
than  a  cat ! 

We  were  trapped  !  Caught !  It  seemed 
as  if  naught  could  save  us  now  ! 

"Lock  the  door, "  I  whispered  to  Juan. 
"  They  will  come  here  next.  The  moment 
they  find  we  are  not  in  the  other  room  ! — 
ha  !  they  know  it  now,  or  will  directly." 

For  as  I  spoke  there  rang  the  report  of 
a  musketoon  through  the  empty  passages 
of  the  house.  They  were  blowing  the 
lock  off ! 

Desperately,  madly,  exerting  a  force 
that  even  I  had  never  yet  realized  myself 
as  possessing,  I  seized  the  cross-bars  of 
that  iron  grating ;  I  pushed  them  outward, 
praying  to  God  for  one  moment  —  only  one 
moment  —  of  Samson's  strength.  And  — 
could  do  nothing  !  Nothing,  at  first.  Yet 

—  as  still  I  strained  and  pushed,  as  I  drew 
back  my  arms  to  thrust    more    strongly 
even  than  before  —  it   seemed   as    if    the 
framework,  as  if  the  whole  thing,  yielded, 
as  if  it  were  becoming  loosened  in  its  stone 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  303 

or  brick  setting.  Inspired  by  this,  I 
pushed  still  more,  threw  the  whole  weight 
of  my  'big  body  -into  one  last  despairing 
effort  —  and  succeeded!  The  grate  was 
loosened,  torn  out  of  the  frame  ;  with  a 
clatter  of  falling  chips  and  small  ddbris  it 
fell  into  the  yard  ten  feet  below. 

My  prayer  was  heard ! 

"Quick,  Juan,"  I  said,  "quick,  come. 
Out  of  the  window,  give  me  your  hands.  I 
will  lower  you.  'T  is  nothing." 

From  Juan  there  came  in  answer  a  cry, 
almost  a  scream  of  terror. 

"Save  me!  Save  me!"  he  shrieked, 
"  there  is  another  man  in  the  room!"  and 
as  he  so  cried,  I  heard  a  thump  upon  the 
floor  —  a  thump  such  as  one  makes  who 
leaps  swiftly  from  a  bed  —  a  rush  across 
that  floor.  Also  a  muttered  curse  in  Span- 
ish, a  tempest  of  words,  a  huge  form  hurled 
against  mine,  two  great  muscular  hands  at 
my  throat. 

In  a  moment,  however,  my  own  hands 
were  out,  too,  my  thumbs  pressing  through 
a  coarse  beard  upon  a  windpipe.  "  Curse 
you,"  I  said  in  Spanish,  as  I  felt  that  grasp 
on  me  relax.  "  Curse  you,  you  are  doomed," 
and  drawing  back,  I  struck  out  with  my  full 
force  to  the  front  of  me. 

Struck  out,  to   feel    my  clenched    fist 


304  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

stopped  by  a  hairy  face  —  the  thud  was 
terrible  even  to  my  ears!  —  to  hear  a  bitter 
moan  and,  a  moment  later,  a  fall — dull  and 
like  a  dead  weight !  —  upon  the  floor. 

"  Come,  Juan,  come,"  I  cried.     "  Come." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

WHO  ?     GRAMONT  ? 

As  he  scrambled  through  the  window  — 
as  I  let  him  down  by  his  hands,  so  that,  with 
the  length  of  his  arm  and  mine  together,  his 
feet  were  not  more  than  a  yard  from  the 
ground  —  I  heard  those  others  outside  the 
door.  Heard  also  the  woman  shriek : 

"There  is  none  in  here,  I  tell  you  — 
pigs,  idiots !  If  they  have  escaped,  't  is 
to  the  street  or  to  the  roof.  Search  those 
rooms  first.  This  is  my  chamber.  Dios! 
Are  you  men  to  enter  thus  a  woman's 
apartment ! " 

" So  be  it,"  the  leader  said.  "  We  will. 
But,  remember,  if  we  find  them  not  we  will 
search  this  room.  Remember  !  "  and  we 
heard  him  and  the  others  striding  off  to 
some  other  part  of  the  house. 

By  this  time  I  was  myself  half  out  of  the 
window.  From  the  creature  I  had  felled 
to  the  floor  there  came  no  sound ;  but 
from  the  door  outside  I  heard  the  woman 
whisper : 

"  Renato,  come  forth.     Quick,  I  say  !    If 

305 


306  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

they  find  you  here  you  are  lost.  You  will 
be  taken — sent  to  the  colonies.  Come 
forth  ! " 

Then  I  waited  to  hear  no  more,  under- 
standing clearly  enough  that  the  woman 
had  herself  been  sheltering-  in  her  own 
room  some  malefactor,  probably  some  lover. 
And,  doubtless,  he  had  thought  we  were 
seeking  for  him,  had  found  him  in  that 
darkened  room  —  that  we  were  the  algua- 
zils.  His  presence  was  explained. 

Taking  Juan  by  the  hand,  I  passed 
rapidly  by  the  stables  as  we  went  away 
from  the  street  and  up  into  the  garden  be- 
yond —  a  small  place,  neglected  and  dirty, 
in  which  I  had  noticed,  when  we  arrived, 
numbers  of  enormous  turnips  growing  — 
vegetables  much  used  in  the  country. 

Then,  a  moment  later,  we  were  close  by 
a  low,  whitewashed  wall — 'twas  not  so 
high  as  my  head  —  over  which  I  helped 
Juan,  following  instantly  myself. 

"Heaven  knows,"  I  said,  "where  we 
are  now,  except  that  we  have  left  the  inn 
behind.  This  may  be  the  garden  of  some 
great  residtncia,  or  of  another  inn.  Well, 
we  must  get  through  somehow  into  the 
street  beyond." 

"And  afterward  ?  "  Juan  asked,  his  face 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  307 

close  to  mine,  as  though  trying-  to  see  me 
in  the  dark  of  the  night.  "Afterward ?  " 

"God  knows  what  —  afterward!  We 
shall  never  get  out  of  the  gates,  't  is  certain. 
There  are  five  —  all  are  doubtless  warned 
by  now.  Pity  'tis  we  did  not  follow  our 
friend's  suggestion  and  disguise  ourselves. 
That  way,  we  might  have  been  safe.  I  as 
a  monk,  you  as  a  woman,  we  should  never 
have  been  recognised." 

"  'T is  too  late,"  said  Juan.  " Too  late 
now.  We  must  go  on  ;  on  to  the  end.  Yet 
I  wonder  where  that  friend,  Jaime,  is.  Per- 
haps taken,  his  disguise  seen  through." 

We  had  reached  the  house  to  which  this 
garden  belonged  by  now  —  a 'different  one 
from  the  neglected  thing  we  had  lately  left, 
well  cared  for,  and  with  great  tubs  of  olean- 
ders and  orange  trees  placed  about  it  at 
regular  intervals,  as  we  could  now  see  by 
the  rising  moon,  which  was  peeping  over 
the  chimney  tops  and  casting  its  rays  along 
a  broad  path  which  we  had  followed  ;  were 
close  up  to  the  house,  a  great  white  one, 
with  this,  its  garden  side,  full  of  windows 
covered  with  persianas,  or  jalousies,  and 
from  some  of  them  lights  streaming. 

"  'T  is  an  inn,  for  sure, " I  said,  "and  full 
of  —  hark  I  whose  voice  is  that?  " 

Yet  there  was  no  need  to  ask ;  'twas  a 


308  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

voice  not  easily  forgotten  which  was  speak- 
ing- now ;  the  voice  of  the  man,  Senor,  or 
"Father,"  Jaime." 

"  Ay,"  we  heard  in  those  rich,  sonorous 
tones,  "alive,  and  here  to  call  you  to  ac- 
count." 

And  following-  this  we  heard  another 
voice,  supplicating1,  wailing-,  screaming1,  al- 
most: "No!  No!  No!  Mercy!  Par- 
don ! " 

Beneath  the  moon's  increasing  rays  we 
gazed  into  each  other's  eyes,  then  quickly, 
together  —  as  if  reading  each  other's 
thoughts  also  —  we  moved  toward  where 
those  sounds  proceeded  from. 

Toward  a  room  in  the  angle  of  the  great 
white  house,  with  a  door  opening  on  to  the 
garden  in  which  we  stood  —  't  was  open  now, 
though  half  across  it  hung  a  heavy  curtain 
of  some  thick  material.  It  was  easy  enough 
to  guess  how 't  was  that  curtain  was  thrown 
half  back  and  the  door  stood  open. 

That  way  Jaime  had  come  upon  his  prey. 

Standing  behind  that  door,  behind  that 
heavy  half-fallen  curtain,  this  was  what  we 
saw :  The  man  Jaime,  with  in  his  hand  a 
drawn  sword  —  doubtless  he  had  hidden  it 
beneath  his  monk's  gown  since  he  returned 
to  the  assumption  of  the  latter. 

In  front  of  Jaime,  upon  his  knees,  his 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  309 

hands  clasped,  his  white  hair  streaming  be- 
hind him,  was  the  man  whose  name  I  had 
deemed  to  be  Carstairs,  or  Cuddiford,  but 
which  Juan  had  averred  was  in  truth  James 
Eaton. 

"Alive!"  Jaime  went  on.  "Alive. 
Villain,  answer  for  your  treachery  ere  I 
slay  you.  Where  is  my  wealth  —  my 
child's  wealth.  Where  is  my  daughter  ?" 

As  he  spoke  I  heard  a  gasp,  a  moan  be- 
side me,  felt  a  trembling-.  And,  looking 
down,  I  saw  Juan  staring  into  the  room, 
his  eyes  distended  as  though  he  was  fas- 
cinated. 

"My  child,"  Jaime  went  on.  "My 
child.  Where  is  she  ?  " 

"I  —  I  —  do  not  know,"  the  old  man 
muttered  —  hissed  in  a  whisper.  "I  do  — 
not  know.  She  left  me  —  years  ago.  Yet 
—  I  loved  her." 

"Liar.  I  have  heard  of  you  in  the  In- 
dies. You  stole  the  wealth  I  left  in  your 
hands  for  her  —  you  drove  her  forth.  An- 
swer. Is  she  dead  ?  " 

"I  lost  all  in  trade,"  Eaton  moaned 
again,  "all,  all.  I  thought  to  double  it  — 
you  were  dead  —  they  said  so  —  would 
never  come  back.  I  —  I " 

"  Look,"  whispered  Juan  in  my  ear. 
"Look  behind  you." 


310  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

At  his  words  I  turned,  and  then  I  knew 
that  we  were  lost,  indeed.  Lost  forever. 

The  men  from  Chantada,  accompanied 
by  those  of  Lug-o,  were  in  this  garden  — 
had  followed  us  over  the  wall,  had  found 
out  our  way  of  escape. 

We  were  doomed!  The  garrote —  the 
stake  —  were  very  near  now. 

They  saw  us  at  once,  in  an  instant — 
doubtless  our  forms  stood  out  clearly 
enough  in  the  beams  of  the  lamp  as  they 
poured  forth  into  the  garden  —  and  made 
straight  for  us,  their  swords  drawn,  the 
unbrowned  barrels  of  their  musketoons 
and  pistols  gleaming  in  the  moonlight. 
And  the  leader  shouted,  as  he  ran  slightly 
ahead  of  the  others:  "You  cannot  escape 
again.  Move  and  we  fire  on  you !  " 

Yet  we  heeded  him  not,  but  with  a 
bound  leapt  into  the  room  where  those  two 
were  —  leapt  in  while  I  cried:  "Jaime,  we 
are  undone.  Assist  us  again. " 

Then  swift  as  lightning  I  shut  the  door 
to,  let  fall  the  curtain  and  drew  my  sword. 
"  I  will  never  yield  to  them,"  I  said.  "  Juan 
and  I  escape  or  die  here  together." 

"Together!"  Juan  echoed,  drawing  also 
his  weapon  forth. 

There  was  but  time  to  see  a  still  more 
frightened  glance  on  Eaton's  face  than  be- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  311 

fore  —  if  added  terror  could  come  into  a 
man's  eyes  more  than  had  been  when  those 
eyes  had  glinted  up  at  Jaime  as  he  stood 
over  him,  it  came  now  as  Juan  sprang-  to 
my  side,  his  hat  fallen  off  and  his  hair  dis- 
hevelled—  while  those  men  were  at  the 
door  giving  on  to  the  garden.  And  in  an 
instant  it  was  burst  open  by  them  —  't  was 
but  a  poor  frail  thing  !  —  they  were  in  the 
room. 

"Yield  I"  the  leader  cried,  "  yield,  or 
you  die  here  at  once ! " 

But  now  Jaime  was  by  our  side ;  three 
blades  were  flashing  in  their  faces;  we 
were  driving  them  back,  assisted  also  by 
a  fourth  —  the  negro  servant  of  Eaton, 
who  had  sprung  into  the  room  from  an- 
other door.  Yet  that  assistance  lasted  but 
a  second.  Doubtless  the  unhappy  wretch 
preferred  it,  thinking  it  was  his  master 
who  was  in  danger  1  A  pistol  was  fired  by 
some  one,  and  I  saw  him  reel  back,  falling 
heavily  on  the  floor,  dead,  with  a  bullet  be- 
tween his  eyes.  And,  as  he  did  so,  from 
Eaton  there  came  a  scream,  while  he  flung 
himself  over  the  creature's  body. 

With  those  others  pistols  were  now  the 
order  of  the  day,  fired  ineffectually  at  first, 
while  still  I  and  the  leader  fought  hand-to- 
hand  around  the  room.  And  I  had  him 


312  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

safe.  I  knew  if  I  was  not  cut  down  from 
behind  that  he  was  mine.  My  blade  was 
under  and  over  his  guard.  I  prepared  for 
the  last  lunge,  when  —  curses  on  the  luck  ! 
—  a  bullet  took  me  in  the  right  forearm  ; 
there  ran  through  that  arm,  up  to  my 
shoulder,  a  feeling  of  numbness,  a  burn- 
ing twinge ;  my  sword  fell  with  a  clang 
to  the  floor. 

And  in  another  moment  two  of  them  had 
sprung  on  and  secured  me  ;  two  others  had 
grasped  Juan,  and  disarmed  him,  too. 

And  now  there  was  none  on  our  side 
to  oppose  himself  to  them  but  Jaime. 

"Shoot  him  down!  Kill  him!"  the 
leader  cried.  Then  added:  "You  fool, 
there  is  naught  against  you,  yet,  if  you 
court  fate,  receive  it." 

But,  great  fighter  as  he  was,  what  could 
he  do  against  all  those?  One  hung  upon 
his  sword  arm,  another  clasped  a  leg,  a 
third  was  dragging  at  his  neck  from  be- 
hind, a  fourth  holding  his  monkish  gown. 

In  another  moment  he,  too,  was  dis- 
armed. We  were  beaten  —  prisoners  1  The 
lives  of  all  of  us  were  at  an  end.  None 
could  doubt  that ! 

The  leader  drew  a  long  breath,  then 
turned  to  where,  at  the  open  door  of  the 
passage,  were  gathered  the  landlord,  as  I 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  313 

supposed ;  several  facchinos  and  some 
trembling1  women  servants,  white  to  the 
lips,  and  said  : 

"Observe,  all  you.  I  take  these  men  — 
these  asasinos  within  your  house.  I  de- 
nounce these  two,"  and  he  indicated  Juan 
and  me,  "the  one  as  an  English  spy  and  a 
man  who  fought  against  us  at  Vigo,  this 
other  one,  this  boy,  as  his  comrade  and 
accomplice.  Bear  witness  to  my  words, 
also  to  their  deeds  of  blood." 

From  that  crowd  in  the  passage  there 
came  murmurs  and  revilings  in  reply: 
"You  should  have  slain  them  here,"  some 
said;  "Better  the  garrote  or  the  flames  in 
the  plaza  da  mercado^  said  others. 

"As  for  this  monk,  this  false  monk  — 
for  such  I  know  him  now  to  be  —  easy 
enough  to  recognise  him  as  one  of  the 
brigands  we  fought  with  the  other  night  — 
had  he  not  joined  in  this  fray  he  had  been 
safe.  We  sought  him  not.  Now,  also,  the 
flames  or  the  garrote  for  him."  Then, 
breaking  off,  he  exclaimed :  "  Who  is  this 
—  and  that  black  slave  lying  dead  there?" 
and  he  pointed  to  Eaton  and  the  other. 
"Who  are  they?" 

"A gentleman  and  his  servant  staying 
in  this,  my  house,"  the  landlord  said,  speak- 


314  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ing-  for  the  first  time,  "  doubtless  assaulted 
by  the  vagabundos.  Oh!  't  is  terrible." 

"  Off  with  these  three,"  the  leader  said. 
"  To  the  prison  in  the  ramparts  to-night  — 
the  judge  to-morrow." 

And  as  he  gave  his  orders  his  men  and 
the  men  of  Lugo  with  him  formed  round 
us,  prepared  to  obey. 

But,  now,  for  the  first  time  Eaton  spoke, 
approaching  the  leader  fawningly,  speaking 
in  a  soft  voice. 

"Senor,"  he  said,  "ere  you  take  them 
away,  a  word.  "  This  one,"  looking  at  me, 
"you  knew  already  —  at  Chantada;  I  have 
told  you  who  and  what  he  is.  For  the  boy 
it  matters  not.  He  is  but  a  follower." 

Yet  as  he  spoke  I  noticed  he  carefully 
avoided  Juan's  eyes,  fixed  full  blaze  on  him 
as  they  flamed  from  out  of  his  now  white, 
marble  face. 

"These,  I  say,  you  know,"  he  went  on. 
But  for  this  other  one  —  this  pretended 
monk,  this  brigand  of  the  night  —  you  do 
not  know  him ;  nor  who  he  is  and  what  has 
been.  Let  me  tell  you." 

"Viper,"  Jaime  murmured.  "Villain. 
Thief!  Yet,"  he  continued,  "I  stoop  not 
to  ask  your  silence.  Speak.  Tell  all.  But, 
James  Eaton,  beware.  Caged  tigers  some- 
times break  their  bars  and  get  free," 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  315 

"Yours  will  never  be  broken,"  the 
leader  said,  looking  at  the  same  time  with  a 
wondering"  glance  from  one  to  the  other. 

"'Tis  true.  'Tis  very  true,"  Eaton 
went  on,  his  voice  oily,  treacherous  as  be- 
fore. "  Yet  since  you  might  break  yours, 
I  give  this  gentleman  a  double  reason  for 
binding  you  faster.  Sir,"  turning  to  him 
whom  he  so  addressed,  "this  monk,  this 
brigand  as  he  appears,  would  be  an  innocent 
man  were  he  that  alone,  in  comparison  with 
what  he  really  is." 

"  Who  in  the  name  of  all  the  fiends  is  he, 
then?  Answer  quick." 

"A  murderer,"  the  old  man  hissed  now, 
raising  his  voice,  "not  four-fold,  but  four 
thousand-fold.  See,"  and  he  pointed  his 
fingers  at  Jaime,  "see  in  him  the  man  who 
sacked  Maracaibo,  Guayaquil,  Campeachy; 
the  man  who  has  burnt  men  and  women 
alive  in  their  houses  like  pigs  in  a  stye, 
sunk  countless  Spanish  and  French  ships, 
plundered,  murdered,  ravished  —  the  arch- 
villain  of  the  Caribbean  Sea  —  not  dead,  but 
alive,  and  trapped  at  last.  The  buccaneer, 
filibuster,  pirate  —  Gramont ! " 

Amidst  their  voices  —  their  shouts  and 
cries  —  for  all  in  Spain  had  known  that 
awful  name,  though  its  owner  had  long  been 
deemed  dead  and  lost  at  sea  —  I  heard  a  cry 


316  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

—  it  was  a  scream  —  from  Juan;  I  saw  him 
reel  as  he  stood  by  my  left  side,  then  stag- 
ger heavily  against  me,  supported  from 
falling  to  the  floor  only  by  my  unwounded 
arm  around  him. 

He  had  fainted. 

And,  as  I  held  up  the  drooping  form,  I 
learnt  the  secret  hidden  from  me  for  so 
many  days.  I  knew  now  what  it  was  that 
Sir  George  Rooke  had  earlier  learnt.  I  pen- 
etrated the  disguise  of  Juan  Belmonte. 


CHAPTER  XXIH. 

SENTENCED   TO   DEATH. 

I  lay  within  a  darkened  cell  in  the 
prison  which  formed  part  of  the  ramparts 
of  Lugo.  Lay  there,  a  man  doomed  to 
death-;  sentenced  to  be  burnt  at  the  stake, 
as  a  spy  taken  in  a  country  at  war  with  my 
own.  To  be  burnt  at  the  stake  on  some  Sun- 
day morning-,  because  that  day  was  always 
a  day  of  festival,  because  all  Lugo  would  be 
there  to  witness,  because  from  all  the  coun- 
try round  the  peasants  would  come  in  to  see 
the  Englishman  expire  in  the  flames. 

Doomed  to  death  1 

Yet  not  alone.  By  my  side  —  his  right 
hand  nailed  to  an  upright  plank !  (so  the 
sentence  had  run)  to  which  our  bodies 
were  to  be  fastened  by  chains  —  was  to 
stand  that  other  man,  Gramont  —  the  pi- 
rate and  buccaneer  who,  as  Eaton  had  testi- 
fied, had  been  called  the  Shark  of  the  Indies. 

I  had  been  tried  first  by  the  Alcaide  of 
Lugo  and  the  principal  Regidor,  assisted 
by  the  Bishop  of  the  province,  an  extremely 
old  man  —  and  had  been  soon  disposed  of. 

3J7 


318  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Evidence  was  forthcoming  —  there  was 
plenty  of  it  in  Lugo  in  the  shape  of  French 
sea-captains  and  sailors  from  the  Spanish 
galleons  —  that  I  had  fought  with  the  Eng- 
lish at  Vigo ;  also,  that  I  had  slain  men  be- 
twixt the  border  and  here.  And,  again, 
there  was  the  evidence  of  Eaton  that  I  had 
travelled  from  Rotterdam  as  the  undoubted 
bearer  of  the  news  that  the  galleons  were 
approaching  Spain. 

Also,  not  content  with  all  this,  I  was  on 
my  way  through  the  land,  gleaning  evi- 
dence of  all  that  was  taking  place  within  it, 
so  as  to  furnish,  as  none  could  otherwise 
suppose,  information  to  my  countrymen 
when  I  should  reach  them. 

No  need  for  my  trial  to  be  spun  out ; 
one  alone  of  all  these  facts  was  enough  to 
condemn  me,  and,  after  a  whispered  con- 
ference between  the  Alcaide,  the  Regidor 
and  the  Bishop,  the  latter  delivered  the 
above  sentence,  his  voice  almost  inaudible 
because  of  his  great  age,  yet  strong  enough 
for  the  purpose  —  powerful  enough  to 
reach  my  ears  and  those  of  the  small 
crowd  within  the  court  house ;  that  was 
sufficient. 

So  I  knew  my  fate,  and  knew,  too,  that 
it  was  useless  to  say  aught,  to  utter  one 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  319 

word.  I  had  lost  the  game ;  the  stakes 
would  have  to  be  paid  in  full. 

Then  began  the  unravelling  of  the  his- 
tory of  him  who  stood  beside  me — swarthy, 
contemptuous  —  his  eyes  glancing  around 
that  court,  alighting  at  one  moment  on  the 
withered  form  and  cadaverous  face  of  the 
Bishop,  at  another  on  the  figure  of  the 
Regid6r,  a  moment  later  on  the  Alcaide, 
a  younger,  well  favoured  man,  whom  I 
guessed  a  soldier  in  the  past  or  present. 

Gramont's  condemnation  was  assured 
by  the  part  he  had  played  on  that  night 
when  he  assisted  us  on  the  road  'twixt 
Chantada  and  Lugo.  That  alone  would 
have  forfeited  his  life  amidst  these  Span- 
iards ;  yet,  perhaps  from  curiosity,  per- 
haps because  even  they  doubted  whether 
so  summary  an  execution,  and  one  so  hor- 
rible, was  merited  by  that  night's  work, 
they  decided  to  hear  the  denouncement 
of  Eaton,  the  story  of  Gramont's  past  life. 
They  bade  the  former  speak,  tell  all. 

And  what  a  story  it  was  he  told  I 

Sitting  in  a  chair  near  the  Bishop,  look- 
ing nearly  as  old  as  that  old  man  himself, 
he  poured  out  horror  after  horror;  branded 
the  man  by  my  side  as  one  too  steeped  in 
cruelty  to  be  allowed  to  live  another  hour, 
if  what  he  said  was,  indeed,  true. 


320  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Told  how  this  man  had  ravaged  all  the 
Spanish  main  —  had  besieged  Martinique, 
Nombre  de  Dios,  Campeachy,  and  scores 
of  other  places,  shedding  blood  like  water 
everywhere  —  had  sunk  and  plundered 
ships ;  burnt  them  and  the  men  in  them  — 
burnt  them  alive ;  gave  instances,  too,  of 
cruelty  extreme. 

"  I  have  known  him  to  tie  dead  and  liv- 
ing together  and  fling  them  to  the  sharks," 
he  said  —  "dead  and  living  Spaniards  I 
Also  hang  them  to  the  bowsprit  by  a  cord 
round  their  waists,  a  knife  placed  in  one 
hand,  so  that,  while  freedom  was  theirs  if 
they  chose  to  sever  the  rope,  a  worse  death 
awaited  them  when  they  fell  into  the  water 
—  a  death  from  sharks,  from  alligators ! 
Oh,  sir,  oh,  reverend  prelate,"  he  con- 
tinued, stretching  out  his  hands  toward 
the  old,  almost  blind  man,  "I  have  seen 
worse  than  this.  Once  he  and  his  follow- 
ers besieged  a  monastery  full  of  holy 
fathers,  governed  by  a  bishop  saintly  as 
yourself;  and  they  defended  it  vigorously, 
bravely  —  would  have  driven  this  tiger  back 
but  for  one  thing." 

"What?"  asked  the  younger  of  the 
judges,  the  Alcaide.  And  I  noticed  that 
now,  as  all  through  this  testifying  of  Eaton, 
that  Alcaide  seemed  less  disposed  to  ac- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  321 

cept  his  evidence  than  the  others  were. 
Later  on  I  knew  the  reason  that  so  urged 
him. 

"What?"  he  said. 

"  Some  of  the  priests  had  already  fallen 
into  his  hands  and  the  hands  of  his  crew. 
Then  they  it  was  whom  he  forced  to  ad- 
vance first  against  the  monastery  —  to  fire 
the  brass  cannon  they  had  brought  with 
them  against  their  brethren ;  forced  them 
to  do  so,  so  that  those  brethren  should  not 
know  them,  should  shoot  them  down  first. 

"  Also,"  said  the  Alcaide,  "  it  might  have 
been  to  prevent  their  firing  at  all.  In  open 
war  a  great  commander  would,  perhaps, 
have  availed  himself  of  such  a  cunning 
ruse." 

Then  I  knew  for  sure  this  man  had  been, 
or  was,  a  soldier. 

More,  much  more,  was  told  by  Eaton  — 
't  is  best  I  set  down  nothing  further  —  then 
the  end  came,  The  sentence  was  passed ; 
he,  too,  was  doomed  to  die,  by  my  side,  on 
the  Sunday  that  should  later  be  appointed. 

"Break  off,"  the  Bishop  said.  "Justice 
will  be  done."  Whereupon  he  glanced 
down  at  his  papers  —  I  wondering  that  he 
could  see  them  with  those  purblind  eyes  — 
while,  pausing  in  his  attempt  to  rise,  he 
said  : 


322  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"  Yet  there  was  another.     The  youth  " 

—  and  here  I  pricked  up  my  ears,  for  of 
Juan  I  had  heard  nothing  since  taken  to  the 
prison  in  the  ramparts — "the  youth  who 
fought  by  the  side  of  this  man  —  this  spy 

—  this  Ingles.     How  comes    it   he  is  not 
before  us?" 

For  a  moment,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  the 
Alcaide  hesitated,  then  he  said  : 

"He  is  not  well.  He  was  hurt  in  the 
melee;  he  cannot  be  brought  before  us  for 
some  days.  Later,  if  necessary,  he  can  be 
tried." 

Although  I  had  drawn  as  far  away  from 
Gramont  as  I  could  since  I  had  learned 
his  true  nature  and  character  and  the  blood- 
shed of  which  he  had  been  guilty,  I  could 
not  prevent  myself  from  letting  my  eyes 
fall  on  him  now ;  and  I  saw  that  for  the  first 
time  there  was  a  look  of  eagerness  in  his 
eyes,  that  he  was  watching  the  younger  of 
those  judges,  watching  as  though  filled  with 
an  intensity  of  feeling  as  to  what  might 
next  be  said. 

"If  necessary,  Capitan  Morales,"  the 
Regidor  said,  speaking  now  for  almost  the 
first  time,  "  if  necessary !  By  all  reports  he 
is  as  bad  as  his  elder  comrades.  A  wild  cat, 
all  say.  Why  should  it  not  be  necessary  ?" 

"  He  is  very  young,"  the  Alcaide  replied, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  323 

undoubtedly  confused,  "very  young-;  also 
he  —  he  —  is  not  well.  I  should  do  wrong-  to 
produce  him  before  you  in  the  state  he  is. 
As  governor  I  must  use  my  discretion," 
and  he  made  a  feint  of  being-  engaged  with 
the  papers  before  him. 

Then  I  felt  sure  that  he,  too,  knew  Juan's 
secret,  as  I  now  did. 

And  I  wondered  to  what  advantage  he 
might  put  that  secret  on  behalf  of  Juan. 
Wondered  while  I  felt  glad  at  the  thought 
which  had  now  risen  to  my  mind  —  the 
thought  that,  at  last,  Juan  might  be  saved 
from  our  doom. 

Again  the  Bishop  said  at  this  time  — 
doubtless  his  worn  old  frame  was  fatigued 
by  the  morning's  work: 

"  Let  us  rise.  There  is  no  more  to  be 
done,  since  —  since  —  this  youth  cannot  yet 
be  brought  before  us,"  and  once  more  he 
placed  his  white,  shrunken  hands  upon  the 
desk  in  front  of  him  to  obtain  the  necessary 
aid  to  quitting  his  seat. 

But  now  the  governor,  whose  name  was 
Morales,  made  a  motion  of  dissent,  accom- 
panying it,  however,  by  soft,  respectful 
words. 

"Nay,  most  reverend  father,  nay,"  he 
said,  "  not  yet,  if  you  will  graciously  permit 
that  we  continue  our  examination  farther," 


324  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

while  as  he  spoke  the  Bishop  sank  back 
again  with  a  wearied  look  of  assent.  "  I  am 
not  satisfied." 

"Not  satisfied,"  the  old  man  whispered, 
while  the  Regid6r  also  echoed  his  words, 
though  in  far  louder  tones.  "What  is  it 
you  are  not  satisfied  with,  Capitan  Mo- 
rales?" 

"With  that  man's  testimony,"  he  ex- 
claimed, pointing  his  finger  over  his  desk 
at  Eaton.  "  In  no  manner  of  way  satisfied," 
and  as  he  spoke  it  almost  seemed — I  should 
have  believed  it  to  be  so  in  any  other  coun- 
try but  Spain,  a  land  of  notorious  injustice 
and  love  of  cruelty  for  the  sake  of  cruelty 
—  as  if  the  crowd  in  the  court  somewhat 
agreed  with  him.  Also,  even  as  he  spoke, 
a  voice  shouted  from  the  midst  of  those 
forming  it : 

"Ay!  How  knows  he  all  this?  Ask  him 
that." 

Glancing  my  eyes  in  the  direction 
whence  those  words  came,  they  fell  upon 
a  man  of  rude  though  picturesque  ap- 
pearance, whose  voice  I  thought  it  was;  a 
fellow  bearded  and  bronzed,  with,  in  his 
ears,  great  rings  of  gold;  a  man  whom,  I 
scarce  know  why,  I  instantly  deemed  a 
sailor.  Perhaps,  one  of  the  many  who  had 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  325 

fled  from  the  galleons  or  the  French  ships 
of  war. 

"I  am  about  to  ask  him  that !  "exclaimed 
Morales,  though  he  cast  an  angry  glance 
toward  the  crowd.  "It  is  his  answer  to 
that  which  I  require." 

Then  all  eyes  were  instantly  directed 
toward  Eaton,  one  pair  flaming  like  burn- 
ing coals  from  beneath  their  bushy  ibrows 
— .the  eyes  of  Gramont. 

Looking  myself  at  him,  noticing  the 
ashy  colour  of  his  face  as  he  heard  that  un- 
known voice  uprise  amidst  the  people 
gathered  in  the  court  —  as  also  he  heard 
in  reply  the  words  of  Morales  —  noticing, 
too,  the  quivering  of  his  white  lips  and  the 
look  as  of  a  hunted  rat  that  came  into  his 
eyes  —  I  found  myself  wondering  if  he  had 
not  thought  of  how  his  denunciation  of  the 
man  by  my  side  was  his  own  accusation 
also. 

"I  ask  you,"  went  on  Morales,  "how 
you  know  all  these  things.  None  but  an 
eye-witness,  a  participator,  could  have  told 
as  much ! " 

Upon  that  muttering  and  gesticulating1 
crowd,  upon  the  shaggy,  black-bearded 
Asturians  and  Biscayans  —  some  of  them 
rude  mountaineers  from  the  Gaviara  and 
some  even  ruder  sailors  from  the  wild  and 


326  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tempest-beaten  shores  of  Galicia  —  upon 
the  swarthy  Spanish  women  with  knives 
in  their  girdles  and  babes  at  their  bare 
breasts,  there  fell  a  hush  as  all  listened  for 
his  answer — a  hush,  broken  only  by  his 
own  halting-  attempt  to  find  an  answer  that 
should  be  believed  —  gain  credence  not 
only  with  the  judges,  but  the  people. 

"I  have  —  heard  —  it  said  —  heard  it 
told,"  he  whispered,  in  quavering  tones. 
"  'T  was  common  talk  in  all  the  Indies  — 
his  name  hated  —  dreaded.  Used  as  a 
means  to  fright  the  timid  —  to " 

He  paused.  For,  like  a  storm  that 
howls  across  the  seas,  sweeping-  all  before 
it  in  its  course,  another  voice,  a  deeper, 
fuller,  more  sonorous  one,  swept  through 
that  court  and  drowned  his;  the  voice  of 
the  lost  man  by  my  side. 

"Hear  me,  you  judges,"  he  cried,  con- 
fronting all  —  standing  there  with  his  man- 
acled hands  in  front  of  him,  yet  his  form 
erect,  his  glance  contemptuous,  his  eyes 
fire.  "Hear  me.  Let  me  tell  all.  I  have 
the  right  —  the  last  on  earth  granted  to  one 
such  as  I  —  for  one  who  sees  and  reads  his 
doom  in  all  your  faces.  Give  me  your 
leave  to  speak." 

"Speak!"  the    Bishop  murmured,  his 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  327 

tones  almost  inaudible.  "  Speak — yet  hope 
nothing-." 

44  Hope  !"  Gramont  said.  "Hope!  What 
should  I  hope  ?  Nothing1 !  in  truth.  No 
more  than  I  fear  aught.  I  am  the  man  this 
one  charges  me  with  being  —  am  Gramont. 
That  is  enough.  Gramont,  the  filibuster — 
one  of  a  hundred  of  your  countrymen,  of 
Frenchmen,  of  Englishmen.  But,"  and 
he  glanced  proudly  around  the  court,  "the 
leader  of  them  all,  of  almost  all.  Yet,  if  I 
am  guilty,  who  is  there  in  the  Indies  that  is 
innocent  ?  Was  Morgan,  the  English  bull- 
dog?—  yet  his  king- made  him  deputy-gov- 
ernor of  his  fairest  isle.  Was  Basco,  Lolo- 
nois  —  is  Pointis?  Answer  me  that.  And, 
you  of  Spain,  you,  one  of  her  bishops,  you, 
one  of  her  soldiers,"  and  he  glanced  at 
each  of  them,  "  how  often  has  one  of  you 
blessed  the  ships  that  sailed  from  your 
shores  laden  with  men  of  my  calling  —  how 
often  have  men  of  your  trade, "again  he 
glanced  at  Morales,  "belonged  to  mine? 
Yet  now  I,  a  Frenchman,  a  comrade  in 
arms  of  you  Spanish,  am  judged  by  the 
words  of  such  as  that" — and  this  time  his 
eyes  fell  on  Eaton. 

Also  all  in  the  court  looked  at  him  again. 

"Now,"  went  on  Gramont,  "hear  who 
and  what  he  is  —  hear,  too,  how  he  knows 


328  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

all  that  I  have  done.  He  was  my  servant 
—  my  ship's  steward  once  —  then  rose 
through  lust  of  cruelty  to  be  my  mate  and 
second  in  command.  And  he  it  was  who 
first  whispered  that  the  captured  monks 
and  priests,  as  he  terms  them,  should  be 
sent  against  the  monastery  at  Essequibo. 
Only — he  has  forgotten,  his  memory  fails — 
they  were  not  monks  and  priests  —  but 
nuns." 

"No,  no,  no!"  shrieked  Eaton,  as  a 
tumult  indescribable  arose  within  the 
court,  while  now  the  mountaineers  and 
seamen  howled,  "burn  him  and  let  the 
other  go,"  and  the  fierce1  dark-eyed  women 
clutched  their  babes  closer  to  their  breasts, 
fingering1  the  hilts  of  the  knives  in  their 
girdles  at  the  same  time. 

"Nuns !  Holy  nuns ! "  the  Bishop  gasped. 
"Great  God!" 

"Ay!  Holy  nuns.  And  hear  one  more 
word  from  me;  it  is  the  truth,  though  it 
avails  me  nothing1.  I  was  not  at  Essequibo 
then,  was  far  away,  was,  in  truth,  at  Cape 
Blanco.  And  he  —  he  —  James  Eaton,  was 
the  man." 

There  rose  more  tumult  and  more  up- 
roar —  it  seemed  as  though  all  the  men  in 
the  court  would  force  the  barrier  that  sep- 
arated them  from  the  judges  and  from 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   329 

Eaton  and  us,  the  prisoners  —  would  slay 
that  .villain,  that  monstrous  wretch,  upon 
the  spot.  But  at  a  look  from  the  Alcaide 
some  of  the  alguazils  and  men-at-arms  by 
that  barrier,  thrust  and  pushed  them  back, 
and  made  a  line  between  them  and  the  body 
of  the  court. 

"Again  listen,"  Gramont  went  on,  when 
some  silence  had  at  last  been  obtained.  "It 
is  my  last  word.  I  was  not  there  —  was 
gone  —  the  band  was  broken  up,  dispersed. 
From  Spain  had  come  an  order  from  your 
king-  that  those  who  desisted  were  to  be 
pardoned  ;  from  Louis  of  France  came  the 
same  news  by  Pointis.  And  I  was  one  who 
so  desisted,  took  service  under  Louis,  was 
made  his  lieutenant.  Also  I  was  on  my  way 
to  France  when  I  was  cast  away.  Cast 
away,  after  leaving  my  child,  my  wealth, 
in  that  man's  hands  for  safe  keeping.  He 
drove  the  one  from  him  with  curses  and 
cruelty,  he  stole  the  other.  And  —  hear 
more — those  galleons  coming  to  Cadiz  were 
bringing  that  stolen  wealth  to  him  —  be- 
cause I  knew  that  it  was  so  I  came  in  them 
to  Spain,  hoping  by  my  disguise  to  meet 
him,  to  wrench  it  back  from  him,  to  call  him 
to  account  for  his  treatment  of  my  girl." 

On  the  court  there  had  come  a  hush  — 
as  the  calm  comes  after  the  storm ;  hardly 


330  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

any  spoke  now —  yet  all,  from  Bishop  down, 
ward,  regarded  Eaton,  trembling-,  shiver- 
ing there. 

And  once  more  in  that  hush,  Gramont's 
voice  uprose  again. 

"For  myself  I  care  not.  Do  with  me 
what  you  will.  But,  remember,  I  denounce 
him,  that  man  there,  as  pirate  and  buc- 
caneer ten  times  more  bloodthirsty  and 
cruel  than  any  other  who  ever  ravaged  the 
Indies;  I  denounce  him,  the  denouncer,  as 
thief,  filibuster  and  spy.  Do  with  me  what 
you  will  —  only  take  heed.  Spare  him  not. 
And  if  you  seek  corroboration  of  my  word, 
demand  it  of  him  who  is  my  fellow-prisoner, 
demand  the  truth  from  Juan  Belmonte." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MY  LOVE  !     MY  LOVE  ! 

The  days  passed  as  I  lay  in  my  dung-eon 
in  the  ramparts,  and  each  morning  when 
the  jailer  —  who,  I  soon  learned,  was  deaf 
and  dumb  —  came  with  a  loaf  of  bread  and 
jar  of  water,  I  braced  myself  to  receive  the 
tidings  that  it  was  my  last  on  earth. 

Yet  a  week  went  by  and  I  had  not  been 
summoned  to  the  plank  and  flames  —  I  be- 
gan, as  I  lost  count  of  time  —  as  I  forgot  the 
days  .of  the  week  themselves  —  to  wonder 
if,  after  all,  the  sentence  was  one  that  they 
did  not  dare  to  carry  out.  And,  remember- 
ing that  in  Spain  nothing  could  be  done 
without  reference  to  the  powers  at  Madrid, 
I  mused  upon  whether,  if  they  did  so  dare, 
the  sanction  for  the  execution  of  Gramont 
and  myself  must  be  first  obtained  ere  the 
execution  could  take  place ;  also  I  mused  on 
many  other  things,  be  sure,  besides  my  own 
impending  fate,  a  fate  which,  I  thought, 
would  never  be  known  to  any  of  my  country- 
men, which  would  be  enveloped  forever  in 
a  darkness  nothing  could  lift.  I  thought  of 

331 


332  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Juan  and  of  the  secret  which  that  wild,  im- 
pulsive nature  had  concealed  from  me  for 
so  many  days  —  wondered  what  would  be 
the  end  of  that  career;  thought,  too,  of 
Gramont,  the  man  whose  blood-guiltiness 
had  been  so  great,  yet  who,  as  he  stood  by 
my  side  a  doomed  man,  had  seemed  almost 
a  hero  by  reason  of  his  indifference  to,  his 
scorn  of,  his  fate. 

The  dungeon,  as  I  have  termed  it,  though 
in  fact  it  was  more  like  a  cell,  was  in  and  at 
the  uppermost  part  of  the  ramparts  of 
Lugo  —  noted  for  being  the  most  strongly 
walled  and  fortified  town  in  all  Spain  —  was, 
indeed,  a  room  in  the  great  wall  which 
sloped  down  perpendicularly  to  the  Minho 
beneath  ;  a  wall,  smooth  and  absolutely  up- 
right, or  vertical,  on  which  a  sparrow  could 
scarcely  have  found  a  crevice  in  which  to 
lodge  or  perch,  rising  from  eighty  to  a  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  base  of  the  rock  on  which 
it  was  built  and  through  which  the  river 
rushed.  This  I  had  seen  as  we  had  passed 
under  it  on  the  other  side  of  the  Minho  when 
we  approached  the  town  ;  could  see,  indeed, 
in  the  daytime  as  I  glanced  down  on  to  the 
river  beneath  through  the  heavily  grated 
and  barred  window  which  admitted  light  to 
my  prison ;  also  I  could  observe  the  country 
outside  and  the  mountains  beyond,  while  I 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  333 

heard  at  night  the  swirl  of  the  river  as  it 
sped  by  those  rocks  below. 

Because  there  was  no  chance  of  escape 
for  any  creature  immured  within  this  cell, 
since  none  could  force  away  those  grates 
and  bars,  even  had  he  possessed  that 
strength  of  Samson,  for  which  I  had  once 
prayed ;  because,  also,  had  I  been  able  to 
do  so,  there  was  nothing  but  the  jagged 
rocks  beneath,  or  the  swift  river,  into  which 
to  cast  myself,  I  was  not  chained  nor  man- 
acled ;  was  at  liberty,  instead,  to  move 
about  as  I  chose ;  to  peer  idly  out  all  day 
at  the  freedom  of  the  open  country  beyond, 
which  would  never  again  be  mine,  or  to  cast 
myself  upon  the  pallet  on  the  floor  and  sleep 
and  dream  away  the  hours  that  intervened 
between  now  and  my  day  of  doom.  Nay,  I 
was  at  liberty,  had  I  so  chosen,  to  strangle 
myself  with  my  bedding,  or,  for  the  matter 
of  that,  my  belt  or  cravat,  or  end  my  life 
in  any  manner  I  might  desire.  Perhaps, 
though  I  knew  not  that  it  was  so,  it  might 
be  hoped  such  would  be  the  end.  It  might 
save  trouble  and  after  consequences. 

None  came  near  me  all  the  day  or  night, 
except  that  mute  jailer,  of  whom  I  have 
spoken,  when  he  brought  me  my  bread 
and  water  every  morning,  and  it  was, 
therefore,  with  a  strange  feeling  of  sur- 


334  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

prise — with  a  plucking-  at  my  heart,  and  a 
fear,  which  I  despised  myself  for,  that 
my  last  hour  was  come  —  that  one  night,  as 
I  lay  in  the  dark,  I  heard  footsteps  on  the 
stones  of  the  passage  outside  the  cell  door 

—  footsteps  that  stopped  close  by  that  door, 
some  of   them  heavy,  the  others  light.     I 
heard,  too,  the  clash  of  keys  together,  the 
grating  of  one  in  the  huge  lock,  a  moment 
later. 

"Remember,"  I  whispered  to  myself. 
"Remember,  you  are  a  man  —  a  soldier. 
Be  brave." 

Then  slowly  the  door  opened,  and  a 
figure  came  in,  bearing  a  light  in  its  hand, 
while,  a  second  later,  the  door  was  closed 
and  locked  again  from  the  outside;  the 
heavy  footsteps  were  heard  by  me  re- 
treating down  the  passage. 

The  figure  was  that  of  "Juan  "  Belmonte. 

"You  here?"  I  said,  springing  up,  and 
then  I  advanced  toward  it,  my  hands  out- 
stretched, while  my  companion  of  so  many 
days  sprang  to  my  arms,  lay  in  them,  sob- 
bing as  though  with  a  broken  heart. 

"Do  not  weep,  do  not  weep,"  I  said,  and, 
as  I  spoke,  my  lips  touched  that  white  brow 

—  no  whiter  now  than  all  the  rest  of  the 
face,  "  do  not  weep.     What  is,  is,  and  must 
be  borne." 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  335 

"  My  love,  my  love  ! "  those  other  lips 
— whose  rich  crimson  I  had  once  mar- 
velled at  so  much  —  sobbed  forth  now, 
"my  love,  how  can  I  help  but  weep?  Oh, 
Mervan,  I  have  learnt  to  love  you  so,  to 
worship  you,  for  your  strength  and  cour- 
age!  And  now  to  see  you  thus  —  thus! 
My  God  ! " 

"Be  brave  still,"  I  said;  would  have 
added  "  Juan"  ;  only,  not  knowing-,  I  paused. 

"  What  shall  I  call  you  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Juana." 

"  Do  they  —  the  judges  —  know  ?  " 

"The  Alcaide  knows:  'T  is  through  that 
knowledge  I  am  here." 

"Why,  "I  whispered,  my  arms  about  her 
as  she  clung  to  me,  "why  was  this  dis- 
guise assumed,  these  dangers  run  ?  Oh ! 
Juana,  since  I  learnt  what  you  were  in  truth 
I  have  shuddered,  sweated  at  the  memories 
of  your  risks.  What  reason  had  you  for 
coming  to  Europe  as  a  man  ?  and  with  such 
beauty,  too  1  'T  is  marvellous  it  was  never 
seen  through." 

"  They  would  not  give  passage  to  women 
in  the  galleons,"  she  answered.  "There- 
fore I  came  as  I  did ;  also  I  knew  I  might 
better  find  Eaton  —  confront  him,  in  a  garb, 
another  sex,  which  would  prevent  him  from 
recognising  the  little  child  he  had  treated 


336  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

so  evilly."  Then,  suddenly,  with  a  wail,  she 
exclaimed:  "Oh,  my  God  !  Mervan,  I  have 
not  come  to  talk  of  this,  but  to  be  with  you 
for  our  last  hour;  one  hour  before  we  die. 
The  Alcaide  has  granted  me  that — and  one 
other  thing  —  on  conditions;  "  and  I  felt  her 
shudder  in  my  arms. 

"Before  we  die,"  I  repeated  stupidly, 
saying  most  of  her  words  over  again. 
"Granted  you  this  and  one  other  thing — 
and  on  conditions.  What  conditions  ?  Tell 
me  all ;  make  me  to  understand.  We  die  ? 
Not  you  !  They  cannot  slay  you." 

From  some  neighbouring  church  a  deep- 
toned  bell  was  pealing  solemnly  as  I  spoke. 
Far  down  below,  by  the  river  banks,  I  heard 
the  splash  of  some  fishermen's  boats  as  they 
went  by  to  their  night  work  —  always,  until 
my  eyes  close  for  the  last  time,  I  shall  re- 
member those  sounds  accompanying  her 
words  in  answer  to  mine  —  shall  hear  them 
in  my  ears  —  her  words:  "I  can  slay 
myself." 

"Juana!" 

"Must  slay  myself,"  she  went  on, 
"  there  is  no  other  way.  Can  I  live  without 
you  —  or,  living,  fullfil  hose  conditions?" 
and,  even  as  she  said  this,  our  lips  met. 

"But,"  I  asked,   my  voice  hoarse  with 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     337 

grief  and  misery,  "what  are  they,  and 
wherefore  granted  ?  " 

"  He  gives  me  one  life  —  his  —  my 
father's!  My  God!  he  my  father!  —  he 
will  not  give  me  yours  because  he  thinks 
you  are  my  lover  —  and  —  and  the  condition 
is  that  on  the  night  when  he  is  set  free,  I 
fly  from  Lugo  with  him,  Morales,  to  Portu- 
gal. He  will  be  safe  there,  he  says.  'T  is 
rumoured  the  king  has  joined  England." 

"And  you  accept  the  terms? "  I  asked, 
bitterly,  knowing  that  I  loved  this  girl  as 
fondly  as  she  loved  me.  Had  loved  her 
since  I  discovered  her  sex  as  she  reeled 
into  my  arms  on  that  night.  "You  ac- 
cept?" 

"I accept.  Nay!"  she  exclaimed,  "do 
not  thrust  me  from  you  —  you  cannot  doubt 
my  love,  my  adoration.  Else  why  am  I 
here  a  prisoner  in  Lugo  —  why,  except  be- 
cause I  could  not  quit  your  side,  could  not 
tear  myself  from  you?  " 

"  How  then  accept  ?  " 

"  Listen.  I  must  save  him.  God  !  —  he 
is  my  father  —  to  my  eternal  shame !  Yet 
—  yet,  being  so,  his  soul  must  not  go  to  seek 
its  Maker  yet — 't  is  too  deeply  drenched 
with  crime,  he  must  have  time  —  time  to 
live  —  to  repent  —  to  wash  away  his  sins. 
Oh !  Mervan,  you  are  my  love,  my  love,  my 


338  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

first  and  only  love  —  will  be  my  last  —  yet 

—  I  must  save  him." 

"  At  what  a  cost !  Your  own  perdition!" 
"  No,  no.  Listen.  Morales  leaves  here 
the  day  before  my  unhappy  father  is  given 
his  chance  of  escape  —  the  door  of  his  cell 
will  be  set  open  for  him  at  night ;  none  will 
bar  his  exit  by  a  back  way  —  I,  too,  shall  be 
gone.  Morales  will  take  me  with  him  in  my 
own  proper  garb,  that  of  a  woman.  Then 

—  then  —  because  I  shall  not  believe  in  my 
father's  freedom  until  I  am  sure  of  it,  know 
it,  he  will  join  us  at  the  frontier  —  not  the 
one  which  we  passed,  but  where  the  road 
crosses  to  Braganza  at  a  place  called  Car- 
vallos  —  and " 

"  You  will  keep  your  word !  " 

"Yes.  To  myself — not  him.  My  father 
will  be  safe  —  Morales  unable  to  do  more 
against  him  —  I  —  I  shall  be  dead.  Once  I 
am  assured  all  is  well  with  him  I  shall  end 
my  life.  There  will  be  nothing  more  to  live 
for." 

"Suppose,"  I  whispered,  "suppose  —  it 
mig-ht  be! — that  I  should  escape,  and,  doing 
so,  find  you  dead !  Oh,  Juana,  how  would 
it  be  with  me  then?  How  could  I  live?  " 

"Ah,  my  love,"  she  said,  whispering, 
too,  "can  you  not  believe  I  have  thought  of 
that  — believe  that  if  all  hope  of  your  escap- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  339 

ing-  was  not  gone  I  should  not  have  decided 
thus  ?  But,  Mervan,  you  are  a  brave  man, 
have  faced  death  too  often  to  fear  to  do  so 
once  again  for  the  last  time.  Mervan,  my 
love,  my  life  —  there  is  no  hope.  None. 
He  has  told  me  —  he  —  Morales  —  that  the 
morning  after  all  are  gone  but  you,  you  will 
surely  be  put  to  death.  My  own,  my  sweet, 
there  is  no  hope." 

"If  I  could  escape  first " 

" It  is  impossible.  Impossible.  Oh!  I 
have  begged  him  on  my  knees  again  and 
again  to  give  you  the  same  chance  as  he 
gives  my  father  —  have  told  him  that,  since 
he  ruins  himself  to  set  free  the  one,  it 
would  cost  him  no  more  to  let  both  go — yet, 
yet  —  he  will  not." 

"Why  not?" 

"I  have  said.  And  he  makes  but  a  sin- 
gle answer.  One  is  my  father  —  the  other 
my  lover.  Laughs,  too,  and  says  he  does 
not  jeopardise  his  own  body — ruin  for  cer- 
tain his  own  life  in  his  own  land  —  to  fling 
that  lover  back  into  my  arms." 

"Still,  if  he  knows  that  until  a  few  days 
ago  I  deemed  you  a  boy " 

"  Knows  it !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Oh,  my 
God  1  have  I  not  told  him  so  a  hundred 
times  —  sworn  that  we  were  but  strangers 
thrown  together  scarce  a  month  past ;  had 


340  ACROSS  THE   SALT  SEAS. 

never  met  before.  And  to  all  my  vows  and 
protestations  he  replies :  'Knowing  you  now 
to  be  a  woman — as  I  have  myself  by  chance 
discovered  —  he  must  love  you  as  I  do.  I 
will  not  save  him  to  steal  you  from  me.'  " 

"  Yet,  with  this  refusal  on  his  lips,  you 
yield  —  or  appear  to  yield." 

"  My  father  !  My  father  !  "  she  cried, 
fling-ing-  her  arms  madly  around  my  neck. 
"  My  father  I  My  father  !  For  his  sake  I 
must  yield.  Oh,  my  love,  my  love,  my  love 
—  I  must" 

********** 

I  cannot  write  down  —  in  absolute  truth, 
cannot  recall — our  last  sad  parting-,  our 
frenzied  words,  our  fond  embraces.  Suf- 
fice it  that  I  say  we  tore  ourselves  apart  at 
the  sound  of  the  mute's  footsteps  —  that 
Juana  was  borne  away  almost  insensible. 

For  that  we  should  never  meet  again  in 
this  world  we  recognised  — we  were  parted 
forever.  I  had  found  and  won  —  although 
till  lately  unknown  to  myself !  —  the  most 
fond  and  loving  heart  that  had  ever  yielded 
itself  up  to  a  man  —  found  it  only  as  I  stood 
upon  the  brink  of  my  grave. 

Yet  if  there  were  anything  that  could 
reconcile  me  to  my  loss  of  her  it  would 
be  that  grave,  I  knew;  that  —  or  the  cast- 
ing of  my  ashes  to  the  wind  after  my 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  341 

body  was  consumed  by  the  bras6ro  —  would 
bring  the  oblivion  I  desired.  And,  since 
she,  too,  meant  to  die  the  moment  her 
father  was  safe,  neither  would  be  left  to 
mourn  the  other.  At  least  the  oblivion  of 
death  would  be  the  happy  lot  of  both.  Yet, 
as  now  the  hours  followed  one  another,  as 
I  heard  them  strike  upon  the  bells  of  all 
the  churches  in  this  old  city,  and  boom 
forth  solemnly  from  the  cathedral  tower  — 
wondering-  always,  yet  resignedly,  when  I 
should  hear  them  for  the  last  time ;  won- 
dering, too,  when  the  key  would  once  more 
grate  in  the  lock  and  I  should  be  summoned 
to  my  doom  —  I  cursed  myself  for  never 
having  penetrated  Juan's  disguise,  for 
never  having  guessed  she  was  a  woman. 
Sir  George  Rooke  had  done  so,  I  knew  now ; 
that  was  what  he  meant  by  his  solemn 
warnings  to  me  —  fool  that  I  was,  not  to  be 
as  far-seeing  as  he  ! 

There  were  many  things,  which  I  now 
recalled,  that  should  also  have  opened  my 
eyes  —  her  timidity,  her  nervousness,  the 
strange  power  of  mustering  up  courage  at 
a  moment  of  imminent  danger ;  also  the 
frequent  change  of  colour ;  the  remain- 
ing  in  the  inn  kitchen  all  one  night ;  the 
shriek  for  assistance  at  the  barrier  en- 
counter. And  yet  I  had  been  blind,  and 


342  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

thought  it  was  a  boy  who  rode  by  my  side 
through  all  the  perils  we  had  passed. 

I  might  have  saved  her  had  I  but  had 
more  insight  —  might  have  refused  to  let 
her  accompany  me ;  have  sternly  ordered 
her  to  travel  in  some  other  way  than  along 
the  danger-strewn  path  which  I  had  come. 
She  would  have  been  safe  now  —  what  mat- 
tered it  what  had  befallen  mel  —  would 
have  been  free,  with  no  hideous  necessity 
of  taking  her  own  life  to  escape  from  the 
love  which  Morales  forced  upon  her. 

Yet,  as  I  tossed  upon  my  pallet,  thinking 
of  all  this  —  thinking,  too,  of  how  fondly  I 
had  come  to  love  this  girl,  so  dear  to  me 
now  that  we  were  lost  to  each  other  forever 
—  I  knew,  I  felt  sure,  that  no  stern  com- 
mands issued  to  her  to  turn  back  and  quit 
my  side  would  have  been  of  any  avail ;  that, 
as  she  had  once  threatened,  she  would  have 
followed  me  like  a  dog,  have  lain  upon  the 
step  of  the  house  wherein  I  slept,  would 
never  have  quitted  my  side. 

For  hers  was  the  hot,  burning  love  of 
the  southern  woman,  of  which  I  had  often 
read  and  heard  told  by  wanderers  into 
far-off  lands  —  the  love  that  springs  in  a 
moment  into  those  women's  breasts,  and, 
once  born,  is  never  quenched  except  by 
death  —  as,  alas!  hers  was  now  to  be 
quenched. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"AS  THE  NIGHT  PASSETH  AWAY." 

Still  the  days  passed  and  I  meditated  on 
whether  each  as  it  came  was  to  be  my  last. 
Wondered  as  every  morning  I  watched  the 
opening  of  the  heavily  clamped  door,  if,  in- 
stead of  my  loaf  and  jar  of  water,  that  deaf 
and  dumb  jailer  had  come  to  summon  me 
forth  to  my  fate;  and  wondered  again  at 
what  might  cause  the  delay,  since  morning- 
after  morning-  his  behaviour  was  ever  the 
same,  the  bread  always  placed  on  the  rough 
stone  shelf  that  ran  around  the  room,  with 
the  water  by  its  side.  That,  and  nothing- 
more. 

That  Juana  had  gone  by  now  with  the 
Alcaide,  I  thought  must  surely  be  the  case. 
I  had  taken  since  that  night  when  last  we 
met  —  and  parted  forever — to  scoring  with 
a  nail  a  mark  daily  on  the  whitewashed  but 
filthy  wall,  so  that  thereby  I  might  keep 
some  count  of  the  days  as  they  went  by, 
and  now  there  were  six  of  such  marks 
there.  Surely  she  was  gone — surely,  too,  I 
thought,  Gramont's  escape  had  taken  place 

343 


344  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

by  now — yet  they  came  not  for  me.  What 
did  it  mean? 

In  my  agony  at  the  thought  that  by  now, 
perhaps,  Juana  was  dead  by  her  own  hand — 
I  pictured  her  to  myself  using  the  small 
poniard  I  knew  she  carried,  or  the  equally 
small  pistol  of  which  she  was  possessed — 
I  groaned — nay !  almost  shrieked  sometimes 
at  my  horrible  picturings  of  her  beautiful 
form  and  face  stiff  with  death ;  in  that  agony 
I  came  to  pray  at  last  to  God  that  the  day  or 
night  which  was  passing  over  me  might  be 
my  last.  That  He,  in  His  supreme  mercy, 
would  see  fit  to  inspire  them  with  the  re- 
solve to  make  an  end  of  me.  Prayed  that, 
by  the  time  those  never  ceasing  clocks  with- 
out had  struck  once  more  the  hour  they 
were  striking  as  I  made  my  supplication, 
my  soul  might  have  left  my  body  —  that 
that  body  might  be  no  more  than  a  heap  of 
ashes. 

For  I  could  bear  my  existence  no  longer. 
My  thoughts  —  of  my  beauteous  mistress 
lying  in  death's  hideous  grasp,  of  my  poor 
old  father,  and  the  misery  which  would  be 
his  —  not  at  my  falling  like  a  soldier,  but 
at  the  mystery  which  would  forever  en- 
shroud my  death  —  were  more  than  I  could 
support. 

But  still  another  day  passed — the  sev- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.    345 

enth — and  still  again  at  daybreak  there  was 
no  summons  to  me  to  go  forth  and  meet  my 
fate.  Yet,  since  by  the  increased  pealings 
of  the  bells,  and  by  the  ringing-  of  some 
sweeter  sounding  ones  than  those  usually 
heard,  I  knew  it  was  the  Sabbath  I  won- 
dered that  my  doom  had  not  come.  For 
the  Sabbath  was,  I  remembered,  the  day  of 
execution  in  this  land,  because  't  is  always 
a  f  e"te  day,  when  the  people  are  at  leisure  to 
be  excited  and  amused. 

That  day  passed,  however,  the  night 
drew  on,  the  dark  had  come ;  and  still  I 
was  alive ;  had  before  me  another  night  of 
horror  and  of  mortal  agony  unspeakable  to 
endure. 

From  my  ghastly,  silent  warder  I  had 
tried  more  than  once  to  obtain  some  hint, 
or  information,  as  to  when  I  might  expect 
my  sentence  to  be  carried  out  —  if  I  could 
have  learnt  that,  I  should  have  known  also 
that  Gramont  was  gone  —  was  free  —  that, 
my  God !  Juana  was  dead,  or  near  to  her 
death.  But  as  well  might  I  have  asked  the 
walls  of  this  cell  in  which  I  was,  for  a  word 
or  sign.  I  wrote  on  those  walls  with  the 
nail  a  question  —  the  question :  "  When  am 
I  to  die  ?  "  and  he  stared  as  stolidly  at  it  as 
though  he  were  no  more  able  to  see  than  to 
speak  or  hear.  Thinking,  perhaps,  that 


346  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

he  could  not  read,  I  made  signs  upon  my 
fingers  to  him,  at  all  of  which 'he  shook  his 
head,  though  what  he  meant  to  convey  I 
know  not.  Yet,  had  my  mind  not  been  so 
distraught,  I  should  have  remembered  that, 
perhaps,  if  he  could  not  understand  the  one 
neither  could  he  the  other.  Reflecting  later 
on,  however,  I  felt  sure  that  he  was  able  to 
do  both  —  it  was  the  only  way  in  which  one 
so  afflicted  as  he  was  could  have  been  made 
to  understand  his  orders  ;  and,  still  later,  I 
knew  that  such  was  the  case.  And  now,  on 
that  Sunday,  as  the  horrid  gloom  of  the  win- 
ter night  enveloped  all  the  country  around, 
while  up  from  the  pastures  and  fields  there 
rose  a  vapour  or  fog,  I  took  a  terrible 
resolve,  driven  thereto  by  the  misery  of  my 
reflections. 

I  determined  that,  if  my  death  by  the 
hands  of  the  executioner  came  not  to-mor- 
row, I  would  take  my  own  life.  I  could  en- 
dure no  longer,  could  think  no  more  upon 
Juana  as  a  dead  woman,  as  one  slain  by  her 
own  hand. 

"Oh!  Juana,  Juana,"  I  wailed  more 
than  once,  "my  lost  Juana.  Then  added, 
with  fierceness,  "Yet  —  no  matter.  We 
meet  to-morrow  at  the  latest." 

Though  they  had  taken  my  weapons 
from  me  ere  they  brought  me  here,  there 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  347 

was  enough  of  opportunity  to  my  hand  for 
accomplishing-  my  purpose.  There  was  the 
nail  I  had  found  —  my  sash,  or  belt  —  my 
cravat  —  either  would  serve  for  my  purpose 
if  I  was  brave  enough  to  accomplish  it. 

"Brave  enough  —  brave  enough!"  I 
found  myself  repeating.  "  Brave  enough  ! 
Or,"  I  whispered,  "cowardly  enough? 
Which  is  it?  Which?" 

And,  as  still  the  long  hours  of  the  night 
went  on,  and  I  lay  on  my  pallet  staring  up 
into  the  darkness,  listening  to  the  hours  told 
over  and  over  again  by  the  bells,  until  my 
soul  sickened  at  their  sound,  watching  a  glint 
of  the  moon's  rays  on  the  metal  roof  of  the 
cathedral,  I  answered  my  own  question, 
reasoned  with  myself  that  self-destruction 
was  the  coward's,  not  the  brave  man's,  act, 
and  resolved  at  last  to  cast  that  awful  reso- 
lution behind  me,  to  endure  and  meet  my 
fate  like  a  man,  as  a  gallant  soldier  should. 

And  so,  eased — I  scarce  knew  why — by 
my  determination,  I  fell  at  last  into  a  tranquil 
sleep,  and  dreamt  that  I  was  back  in  Eng- 
land, walking  in  my  father's  old  flower  gar- 
den in  the  Weald,  with  my  love,  Juana,  by 
my  side. 

Some  unaccustomed  noise  awoke  me 
from  that  fair  dream  —  something  to  which 
I  was  not  used  in  the  long  silence  of  the 


348  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

nights  —  some  sound  which,  as  I  raised  my- 
self on  my  elbow  and  peered  around  the 
cell,  I  could  not  understand ;  for  in  that 
cell  there  was  no  other  presence,  as  for  a 
moment  I  had  imagined  when  I  sprang  up, 
half  asleep  and  half  awake ;  the  moon, 
which  had  now  overtopped  the  cathedral 
towers,  showed  that  plain  enough.  Deep 
scurrying  clouds  were  passing  beneath  her 
face  swiftly  —  obscuring  sometimes  her 
brilliancy  for  some  moments,  'tis  true; 
yet,  as  she  emerged  now  and  again  from 
them,  her  flood  poured  in  and  lit  up  the 
whole  chamber.  There  was  no  one  in  it 
but  myself ! 

What,  therefore,  was  the  sound  I 
had  heard  ?  Stealthy  footsteps  outside  ?  — 
those  of  my  doomsmen,  perhaps  I  —  or 
was  it  some  silent  executioner  about  to 
steal  in  on  me  in  the  night,  thereby  to  pre- 
vent the  publicity  of  a  death  in  the  mar- 
ket place  — a  death  which  might  by  chance 
be  reported  to  my  own  countrymen  afar 
off,  and  like  enough,  if  the  war  rolled  down 
this  way,  be  bitterly  avenged  ?  Was  that  it  ? 

Again  beneath  the  moon  there  passed 
heavy  clouds,  extinguishing  her  light  so 
that  for  a  moment  my  prison  was  once 
more  steeped  in  darkness  —  I  found  my- 
self thinking  that  there  would  be  snow  ere 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  349 

morning-;  that,  if  that  morning-  brought  my 
death,  't  would  be  a  bleak  and  wintry  scene 
which  the  flames  of  the  braslro  would  illu- 
minate !  —  then  throug-h  a  break  in  those 
clouds  a  ray  stole  forth,  a  ray  that  glinted 
in  through  the  iron  bars  of  the  window 
grate,  across  the  stone-flagged  floor,  and 
onward  to  the  heavily  clamped  door,  then 
was  arrested  there — one  spot  shining  out 
amidst  those  beams  with  the  brightness 
and  the  dazzle  of  a  diamond. 

What  was  that  thing,  that  spot  on  which 
the  ray  glinted  so? 

Creeping  toward  the  door,  as  silently  and 
lightly  as  I  could  go,  I  reached  it,  put  out 
my  finger  and  touched  that  gleaming  spark, 
and  found  that  it  proceeded  from  the  ex- 
tremity of  a  key  which  was  in  the  lock  and 
which  now  protruded  by  a  trifle  into  the 
room.  It  was  the  insertion  of  that  key 
which  had  awakened  me. 

Yet  —  what  did  it  mean,  and  why,  when 
once  in  the  lock,  was  it  not  turned ;  why  not 
followed  by  the  entry  of  one  or  more  per- 
sons into  the  cell? 

Were  they  coming  back  later  to  fall  on 
me?  Had  the  key  been  first  inserted  by 
some  who  had  withdrawn  directly  after- 
ward, so  that,  if  the  noise  awakened  me,  I 
should  sleep  again  shortly,  when  they  could 


350  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

return  to  finish  their  work?  This  must  be 
the  true  explanation  —  I  was  to  be  executed 
in  the  depth  of  the  night  when  all  were 
asleep  in  the  old  town,  when  no  cry  of 
anguish,  no  scream  from  one  being  done  to 
death,  would  be  heard. 

"Yet,"  I  thought  to  myself,  "these 
precautions  are  useless.  As  well  here  as 
in  the  flames  to-morrow.  What  matters 
where  or  how?  " 

At  that  moment  my  ears  caught  a  sound 
—  something  was  passing  down  the  stone 
passage  outside  —  something  that  was  not 
the  heavy  tread  of  the  jailer.  Instead,  a 
muffled  sound  —  yet  perceptible  to  me.  A 
shuffling,  scraping  sound  as  though  one 
who  was  shoeless  was  dragging  each  foot 
carefully  along  after  the  other. 

Then  I  saw  the  end  of  the  key  which 
projected  through  the  lock  turn  —  I  saw  it 
sparkle  in  the  moon's  rays  —  once  it  grated 
harshly,  creaked!  And,  slowly,  a  moment 
afterward  the  door  opened  inward,  leaving 
the  passage  outside  dark  and  cavernous. 
He  who  had  so  opened  it  with  one  hand  car- 
ried no  light  in  the  other. 

Stepping  back  from  it,  watching  what 
should  happen  next  —  yet,  I  swear  before 
heaven,  with  no  fear  at  my  heart  —  why 
should  there  be,  since  I  desired  to  die 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  351 

join  my  love?  yet  still  with  that  heart 
beating  loudly  from  excitement  —  I  saw  the 
blackness  of  the  doorway  blurred  with  a 
deeper  intensity  by  a  form  standing  outside 
it.  I  saw  the  moonbeams  reach  that  form, 
lighting  it  up  for  a  moment  and  glistening 
on  the  eyes  of  it.  I  saw  before  me  the  great 
figure  and  heavy,  stolid  face  of  my  dumb, 
impenetrable  jailer.  The  mute!  Also  ob- 
served that  under  his  arm  he  carried  some- 
thing long  —  a  sword. 

His  eyes  upon  me,  he  advanced  into  the 
cell  —  I  seeing  that  his  feet  were  bare  ex- 
cept for  thick,  coarse  stockings  which  he 
wore  —  yet  making  no  motion  as  though  to 
attack  me,  his  action  not  such  as  would 
have  rendered  a  more  desperate  man  than 
myself  resolved  to  defend  himself.  Then 
slowly,  while  I,  my  back  against  the  far- 
thest wall,  stared  at  him  more  in  wonder 
than  in  awe,  he  raised  the  arm  under  which 
the  sword  was  not  borne,  and  motioned  to 
me  with  his  finger,  crooked  somewhat,  to 
follow  jhim,  pointing  a  moment  afterward 
down  the  dark  passage. 

"  So,"  I  whispered  to  myself,  drawing  a 
deep  breath  as  I  did  so,  "  the  hour  has  come. 
He  bids  me  follow  him.  I  understand  —  it 
is  to  be  done  before  daylight.  Well,  I  am 


352  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ready.  God  give  me  strength  and  par- 
don me." 

Then  I  made  ready  to  follow  him,  while 
he,  observing-  this,  prepared  to  lead  the 
way. 

All  was  profound  and  dark  outside  that 
cell  when  once  we  were  in  the  passage  —  so 
dark  that,  ere  I  had  barely  reached  it,  I 
felt  his  great  hand  upon  my  arm,  felt  him 
clutching  my  sleeves  between  his  fingers. 
And  thus  together  we  went  on,  he  silent 
as  a  corpse,  except  for  his  breathing,  which 
sometimes  I  heard  —  sometimes,  too,  felt 
upon  my  cheek  —  I  going  to  my  death. 

One  thing  I  noticed,  even  in  these  mo- 
ments of  intensity.  We  went  the  opposite 
way  from  that  by  which  I  had  first  been 
brought — the  opposite  way  from  which 
his  footsteps,  when  he  had  been  shod,  had 
invariably  sounded ;  also  the  opposite  way 
from  which  my  love  had  come  to  bid  me 
a  last  farewell,  and  had  been  carried  in- 
sensible after  our  parting. 

Whither  was  I  being  taken  ? 

The  end  of  the  corridor  was  reached 
in  the  darkness ;  I  knew  that  by  the  fact 
that  his  grasp  tightened  perceptibly  on 
my  sleeve ;  also  that,  by  a  pressure  of  his 
fingers  on  it,  he  was  turning  me  somewhat 
to  the  left ;  likewise,  that  grasp  put  a  de- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   353 

gree  of  curb  upon  me ;  a  moment  later 
seemed  to  signify  that  I  was  to  go  on  again. 
And  it  felt  to  me  that,  in  a  way,  I  was  being- 
supported  —  held  up. 

Another  instant,  and  I  knew  why.  We 
were  descending  stairs  —  on  the  way  down, 
doubtless,  to  some  exit  that  should  lead  to- 
my  place  of  doom  !  Still  I  resisted  not.  One 
path  to  oblivion  served  as  well  as  another. 

By  the  manner  in  which  the  steps  were 
cut  I  knew  at  once  that  we  were  in  some 
tower,  and  that  the  stairs  were  circular ; 
also  my  hand,  which  I  kept  against  the  side, 
told  me  the  same  thing.  Moreover,  there 
were  ceillets^  or  arrow  slits,  in  the  wall, 
through  which  I  could  see  the  moon  shining 
on  another  wall,  which  seemed  to  be  some 
fifty  paces  off  —  probably,  I  thought,  the 
opposite  wall  of  some  courtyard  built  into, 
or  by  the  side  of,  the  huge  ramparts. 

Of  sound  there  was  none,  no  noise  of  any 
kind,  no  tramp  of  sentry  to  be  heard, 
although  I  knew  well  enough  that  on  the 
ramparts  themselves  soldiers  were  kept 
constantly  on  guard.  Nothing ;  all  as  still 
as  death,  the  death  to  which  I  was  being  led. 

At  last  the  stairs  ended.  My  feet  told 
me  we  were  on  the  level  now,  a  level  into 
which  they  sank  somewhat  as  I  took  step 
after  step,  whereby  I  judged  that  we  were 


354  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

walking-  on  sand,  and  wondered  in  what 
part  of  that  prison,  of  those  huge  ramparts, 
we  might  be.  Surely,  I  thought,  some  lower- 
most vault  or  dungeon,  perhaps  beneath 
the  foundations  of  the  structure,  beneath 
the  rocks  between  which  the  river  flowed. 

"My  God  !  "  I  murmured  to  myself,  "is 
this  my  fate  ?  To  be  immured  forever  in 
some  dark  dung-eon  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  where  neither  light,  nor  sound  — 
never  hope  —  can  come  again.  Better  death 
at  once,  swift  and  merciful,  than  this.  Far 
better." 

Yet  almost  it  seemed  to  my  now  frighted 
heart  that  this  alone  could  be  the  case. 

The  air  reeked  and  was  clammy,  as 
though  with  long  confinement  in  this  under- 
ground place,  and  by  remaining  ever  unre- 
freshed  from  without  by  heaven's  pure 
breezes  was  mawkish  and  sickly  as  the 
breath  of  a  charnel  house  —  perhaps  'twas 
one  !  —  perhaps  those  who  died  here  were 
left  to  fester  and  moulder  away  till  their 
corpses  turned  to  skeletons  and  their  skel- 
etons to  dust ;  to  die  here,  where  no  cry  for 
help  could  issue  forth,  no  more  than  any 
sound  except  a  muffled  one  could  penetrate, 
as  I  knew  at  this  moment,  for  far  above  I 
heard  a  deep  boom  that  seemed  like  the 
muffled  roar  of  a  cannon  —  a  sound  that  was 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  355 

in  truth  the  eternal  bell  of  the  cathedral 
telling  the  hour  ;  also  another  broke  on  my 
ear  —  a  swift,  rushing-  noise,  yet  deadened, 
too — the  sound,  I  thought,  of  the  Minho 
passing-  near. 

Then,  all  at  once  —  as  I  knew  that  the 
sickly,  reeking  air  would  choke  me,  felt 
sure  that  ere  many  paces  more  had  been 
traversed  I  must  reel  and  fall  upon  that 
sanded  floor  —  there  blew  upon  my  face  a 
gust  of  air  —  oh  !  God  !  it  was  as  though  I 
had  changed  a  monumental  vault  all  full  of 
rankling  dead  for  some  pure  forest  through 
which  fresh  breezes  swept  —  far  down  to- 
ward where  my  dimmed  eyes  gazed  I  saw 
a  glimmer  of  something  that  looked  like  the 
light  of  a  coming  dawn. 

And  I  thanked  heaven  that,  at  least,  these 
horrid  vaults  were  not  to  be  my  prison  or 
my  grave ;  that,  let  whatever  might  befall 
me,  my  punishment  was  not  to  be  dealt 
out  here. 

And  ever  still  as  I  went  on  that  stricken 
man  walked  by  my  side,  held  my  arm  with 
his  hand,  and  directed  the  way  toward  the 
sombre  light  that  gleamed  afar. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

WHAT   HAS  HAPPENED? 

The  light  increased  as  we  advanced ; 
the  space  it  occupied  grew  larger ;  also  it 
seemed  to  be  entering'at  what  I  now  judged 
to  be  the  mouth,  or  exit,  of  some  narrow, 
vaulted  passage,  through  which  we  were 
progressing  and  arriving  at  the  end  of; 
almost,  too,  it  seemed  as  if  this  passage 
was  itself  growing  less  dark  ;  as  if  now  — 
as  I  turned  my  eyes  to  where  the  mute 
walked  by  my  side  —  the  outline  of  his  form 
was  becoming-  visible. 

What  was  I  to  find  at  the  end  of  this  out- 
let—  what  to  see  awaiting  me  when  at  last 
I  stood  at  the  opening  in  the  midst  of  the 
wintry  dawn  —  a  scaffold,  or  the  brastro? 
Which?  I  perceived  now  —  my  eyes  accus- 
toming themselves  to  the  dusky  gloom  — 
that  this  vaulted  way,  or  corridor,  was  one 
hewn  through  a  bed  of  rock,  and  roughly, 
too,  blasted,  perhaps,  in  earlier  days;  and 
that  all  along  its  sides  were  great  slabs, 
or  masses,  of  this  rock,  that  lay  where  they 
had  fallen.  Perceived  something  else, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  357 

also  — a  man  crouching  down  behind  one  of 
the  fallen  blocks,  his  cape  held  across  his 
face  by  one  hand,  so  that  naught  but  the 
eyes  were  visible ;  the  eyes — and  one  other 
thing  that  shone  and  glistened  even  in  the 
surrounding  gloom  —  a  huge  gold  earring, 
of  the  circumference  of  a  crown-piece, 
which  fell  over  the  crimson  edge,  or  guard- 
ing, of  that  cloak. 

Where  had  I  seen  a  man  wearing  such 
earrings  as  that  before  ?  Where  ?  Then, 
even  as  I  went  on  to  my  death,  I  remem- 
bered —  recalled  the  man.  'T  was  he  who 
had  cried  out  to  the  Alcaide  in  the  court, 
bidding  him  question  Eaton  as  to  how  he 
knew  so  much  of  Gramont's  past  —  yet 
—  what  doing  here,  why  hiding  behind 
that  fallen  mass?  Was  there  some  one 
within  these  dungeons  whom  he  sought  — 
some  one  for  whom  an  attempted  rescue 
was  to  be  planned?  I  knew  of  none  — 
knew  of  no  other  prisoner  within  these 
walls  —  since  now  Gramont  was,  must  be, 
as  far  away  as  his  unhappy  child  —  my  lost 
love,  Juana.  Yet,  perhaps,  it  was  not  very 
like  I  should  have  known. 

But  now  the  end  was  at  hand.  I  scarce 
cared  to  turn  my  eyes  to  observe  whether 
or  not  the  mute  had  seen  the  sailor  shrink- 
ing behind  the  stone ;  instead,  nerved  my- 


358  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

self,  by  both  prayer  and  fierce  determina- 
tion, to  meet  my  fate,  to  make  my  exit  into 
the  open  as  bravely  as  became  a  man ;  to  let 
not  one  of  my  executioners  see  that  I  feared 
them  or  the  flames  that  were  to  burn  the 
life  out  of  me. 

So  we  drew  near  the  mouth  of  the  pass- 
age —  moving-  through  the  gloom  that  was 
as  the  gloom  of  a  shuttered  and  darkened 
house  on  some  wintry  morn — I  seeing  that, 
beyond  and  outside,  was  a  sloping,  stone- 
flagged  decline  that  led  down  to  a  lane 
which  ran  out  into  the  open  country  be- 
yond. We  were,  therefore,  outside  the 
walls  of  Lugo,  and  I  deemed  that  it  was 
here,  unknown  to  the  towns-people,  that 
I  was  to  meet  my  fate. 

We  stood  a  moment  later  on  that  stone- 
covered  descent,  and  I  gazed  around  it 
startled  —  amazed  1  For  here,  upon  it,  was 
no  hideous  brasdro  piled  up  with  logs  of 
wood,  and  drenched  with  resin  and  pitch  to 
make  those  logs  burn  more  fiercely ;  no  up- 
right plank  nor  beam  against  which  the 
sufferer's  hand  —  my  hand!  —  was  to  be 
nailed  through  the  palm;  no  executioners 
clad  in  black  from  head  to  foot.  Instead,  a 
man  in  peasant's  dress  —  green  breeches, 
leather  zapdtas  and  a  sheepskin  jacket.  A 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  359 

peasant  holding-  by  the  reins  two  horses, 
one  black,  the  other  dappled  grey. 

I  felt  almost  as  though  once  more  I 
should  faint  —  felt  as  I  had  done  in  that 
reeking,  mouldy  corridor  through  which  I 
had  come  —  became  sick,  indeed,  at  the 
relief,  even  though  't  were  for  an  hour  or 
so  only,  which  was  accorded  me  from 
instant  death,  since  I  knew  that  here  that 
death  could  not  be  dealt  out. 

Then  I  turned  to  the  deaf  and  dumb 
man  —  if  such  he  was  —  who  had  now  re- 
leased my  arm  —  had  done  so,  indeed,  since 
the  half  light  had  been  reached  —  and  im- 
plored him  to  tell  me  what  was  intended. 

For  answer  —  he  guessed,  no  doubt,  the 
import  of  my  words  —  he  pointed  to  the 
horses  and  made  signs  I  should  mount  one 
of  them.  And  I,  incredulous,  asking  God 
inwardly  what  was  meant,  went  toward  the 
black  one  and  seizing  its  reins  and  twisting 
a  lock  of  its  mane  around  my  thumb  pre- 
pared to  do  as  I  was  bid,  yet  with  my 
nerves  tingling  and  trembling  so  that  I 
scarce  knew  whether  I  could  reach  the 
saddle  or  not. 

Then,  ere  the  attempt  was  made,  as  I 
raised  my  foot  to  the  iron,  the  mute  touched 
my  arm,  felt  in  his  belt  with  the  other  hand 


360  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and,  producing-  a  piece  of  paper,  gave  it 
to  me. 

It  was  from  Juana;  ran  thus  in  English: 

Your  road  is  through  Samos,  Caldelas  and 
the  other  Viana.  At  Terroso  you  will  cross  the 
frontier.  The  jailer  will  guide  you  to  us.  Come 
quickly,  so  that  thereby  my  fate  may  be  decided. 

JUANA. 

That  was  all.  All  —  from  her  to  me! 
From  her  to  me !  No  word  of  love  accom- 
panying the  message.  Not  one ! 

She  had  saved  me  in  some  way  —  had 
induced  the  Alcaide  to  bring  about  my  es- 
cape also — had  done  this,  yet  could  send  me 
no  greeting  such  as  she  must  have  known  I 
hungered  for.  Was  it  shame,  remorse, 
that  made  her  so  silent  and  so  cold? 
Heartbroken,  I  thrust  the  letter  into  my 
pocket,  and,  at  a  sign  from  the  mute, 
mounted  the  horse,  he  doing  the  same  with 
the  other. 

Then,  ere  we  gave  them  their  reins,  he 
leant  across  and  put  into  my  hands  the 
sword  he  had  carried  under  his  arm  since 
first  he  opened  the  door  of  my  cell ;  a  sword 
long  and  serviceable-looking,  with  a  great 
hilt  and  curled  quillon ;  one  that  I  had  seen 
another  like  somewhere,  though  where  it 

was  I  could  not  recall. 

********** 

'T  was  over  twenty  leagues  to  Terroso, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   361 

I  learnt  in  the  course  of  our  ride.  Dimin- 
ishing- those  leagues  moment  by  moment, 
we  went  on  and  on,  the  black  horse  that  I 
bestrode  never  faltering1  in  its  quick  pace, 
the  grey  keeping-  close  to  it. 

And  I,  my  brain  whirling-,  my  heart 
beating-  tumultuously  within  my  breast,  my 
whole  being-  —  my  soul!  —  shaken  by  the 
release  from  an  awful  death  which  had 
come  to  me,  would  have  given  all  that  I  was 
possessed  of  if  from  that  stricken,  silent, ter- 
rible companion  by  my  side  I  could  have  ex- 
tracted one  word  —  gleaned  from  him  one 
jot  or  atom  of  information!  Yet  to  my  re- 
peated exclamations  he,  seeing  that  I  was 
speaking  to  him,  shook  his  head  persist- 
ently ;  when  I  made  signs  to  him  in  the 
alphabet  which  I  felt  sure  he  knew,  he 
turned  his  face  away  and  rode  on  stolidly. 
Had  a  dead  man,  a  spectre,  been  riding 
ever  by  my  side,  swiftly  when  I  rode 
swiftly,  halting  when  I  halted,  neither  could 
have  been  more  terrible  to  me  than  this 
living  creature,  so  immutable  and  impene- 
trable. 

I  was  sore  beset  —  distraught,  my  mind 
full  of  fearful  fancies !  Fancies  that  I 
should  find  Juana  dead  —  though,  too,  I 
imagined  that  she  would  not  slay  herself 
until  she  had  made  sure  of  my  safety, 


362  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

else  why  her  letter?  —  fancies  that,  since 
the  letter  contained  no  word  or  hint  of  love, 
she  had  forced  herself  to  tear  me  out  of 
her  heart  forever  ;  forced  herself  to  do  so 
because  now  she  knew  she  could  never  be 
aught  to  me  again.  These  fancies,  these 
thoughts,  were  awful  in  their  intensity ; 
were  made  doubly  so  by  this  silent  crea- 
ture who  never  quitted  my  side. 

And  once  my  agony  of  nerves  grew  so 
great  that  I  turned  round  upon  him  —  ges- 
ticulating fiercely  —  hating  myself  for  my 
brutality  in  doing  so  against  one  who  was, 
in  truth,  my  saviour  —  shrieking  at  him  : 

"Speak!  Speak!  For  God's  sake,  speak! 
Utter  some  word.  Give  some  sign  of  being 
alive  —  a  reasoning  thing.  Speak,  I  say,  or 
leave  me  —  else  I  shall  slay  you." 

Then  I  shuddered  and  could  have  slain 
my  own  self  at  the  man's  action. 

For  he  turned  and  looked  at  me — it  was 
in  the  fast  gathering  twilight,  as  side  by 
side  always,  we  were  slowly  riding  up  a 
mountain  path  —  looked — then,  as  I  gazed, 
the  tears  rolled  down  his  coarse  face !  And, 
poor  unhappy,  afflicted  thing!  those  tears 
continued  to  trickle  down  that  face  till  night 
hid  it  from  my  eyes. 

I  knew  now  that  he  understood  at  least, 
that  be  comprehended  the  words  of  pity 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  363 

and  remorse  I  poured  forth  before  the  dark- 
ness came;  at  least  the  touch  I  made  gently 
on  his  sleeve  was  read  aright  by  him.  For 
on  his  broad,  expressionless  face,  to  me  for 
so  long1  a  stolid  mask,  there  came  a  placid 
smile,  and  once  he  returned  my  touch 
lightly  as  still  we  rode  on,  and  on,  and  on. 

We  halted  that  night  to  rest  our  horses 
and  ourselves  at  a  miserable  inn,  high  up 
in  the  mountains,  a  place  round  which  the 
sjiow  was  falling  in  great  flakes, that  seemed, 
indeed,  to  be  embedded  in  snow.  A  ghastly, 
horrid  place  in  which,  as  I  sat  shuddering 
by  the  fire,  while  my  companion  and  the 
landlord  slept  near  it  —  wondering  if  by 
now  Juana  had  accomplished  her  dreadful 
purpose,  unable  longer  to  bear  the  company 
of  the  man,  Morales,  to  whom  she  had  sold 
herself;  or,  almost  worse  still,  the  company 
of  her  sin  stained  father;  wondering  too,  if 
by  now  that  splendid  form  was  stiff  in  death! 
—  I  almost  cursed  the  escape  that  had  come 
to  me.  In  truth,  I  think  that  now,  upon  this 
night,  amidst  the  horrors  of  this  lonely 
mountain  inn,  I  was  almost  a  madman;  for 
the  soft  beat  of  the  flakes  upon  the  glass  of 
the  window  seemed  to  my  frenzied  mind 
like  the  tapping  of  ghostly  fingers;  as  I  fixed 
my  eyes  upon  those  flakes  and  saw  them 
alight  one  by  one  upon  the  panes  and  then 


364  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

dissolve  and  vanish,  it  looked  to  me  as 
though  they  were  fingers  that  scratched  at 
the  window  and  were  withdrawn  only  to 
return  a  moment  later.  Also  the  wind 
screamed  round  the  house  —  I  started  once, 
feeling  sure  I  heard  a  woman  —  Juana  — 
shriek  my  name,  plucked  at  the  sword  by 
my  side  and  would  have  made  for  the  door, 
but  that  the  landlord  laughed  at  me  and 
pushed  me  back,  saying  that  those  shrieks 
were  heard  nightly  and  all  through  the 
night  during  the  winter. 

At  last,  however,  I  slept,  wrapped  in  my 
cloak  before  the  peat  fire,  the  mute  in  an- 
other chair  by  my  side.  And  so,  somehow, 
the  night  wore  through.  The  morning  came, 
and  we  were  on  our  road  once  more,  ten 
leagues  still  to  be  compassed  ere  the  front- 
ier was  reached,  with,  behind  us,  as  now  I 
gathered  from  my  mutilated  companion's 
manner  in  answer  to  my  questions,  the  pos- 
sibility that  we  might  be  pursued.  That 
after  us,  in  hot  chase,  might  be  coming  some 
from  Lugo  who  had  discovered  our  escape. 

The  mountain  water  courses  and  rivu- 
lets hummed  beneath  the  frozen  snow  bound 
over  them  by  the  bitter  frost,  the  tree 
boughs  waved  above  our  heads  and  across 
our  path  as,  gradually  descending  once 
more  to  the  plain,  the  chestnuts  and  the  oak 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  365 

trees  took  the  place  of  the  gaunt  black  pines 
left  behind  above;  once  on  this  bitter  morn- 
ing we  saw  the  sun  steal  out  from  amidst 
the  clouds  —  lying  down  low  on  the  horizon 
as  though  setting  instead  of  rising.  Yet  on 
we  rode  for  our  lives,  with  upon  me  a  deeper 
desire  than  the  salvation  of  my  own  exist- 
ence —  the  hope  that  I  should  be  in  time  to 
save  Juana,  to  wrench  her  from  Morales  ere 
it  was  too  late,  to  bear  her  away  at  last  to 
happiness  and  love  unspeakable.  Rode  on, 
my  black  horse  stumbling  once  over  amass 
of  stone  rolled  down  from  the  heights  above; 
the  dappled  grey  coming  to  its  haunches 
from  a  similar  cause,  yet  both  lifted  quickly 
by  a  sharp  turn  of  our  wrists  and  rushing 
on  again  down  the  declivity,  danger  in  every 
stride  and  only  avoided  by  God's  mercy. 

The  leagues  flew  by  —  were  left  behind 
—  a  long  billowy  plain  arrived  at,  sprinkled 
with  hamlets  from  which  the  cheerful  smoke 
rose  to  the  sky ;  the  mute  had  passes  which 
took  us  through thatothertown of  Viana;  the 
last  spot  of  importance  was  reached  —  and 
passed !  —  that  lay  between  us  and  the 
border  —  between  us  and  Portugal  and 
safety. 

Then  once  more  our  beasts  slackened  in 
their  stride,  again  the  ground  rose  upward, 
once  more  the  hills  were  before  us,  above 


366  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

them  at  the  summit  was  the  frontier,  Ter- 
roso.     Another  hour  and  we  should  be  there 

—  Juana's  and  my  fate  determined. 

To  use  whips  —  neither  of  us  had  spurs 

—  was  cruel,  yet  there  was  no  other  way; 
therefore  we  plied  them,  pressed  reeking 
flanks,  rode  on  and  on  mercilessly.     And 
now  the  end  was  at  hand ;  afar  off  I  saw  a 
cabin  over  which  floated  both  the  banner  of 
Spain  and  of  Portugal.  We  were  there  some 
moments  later  —  the  mute's  papers  again 
examined  —  our  passage  allowed. 

We  had  escaped  from  Spain ! 

"You  ride  quickly,"  the  Portuguese 
aduanista  said ;  "seek  some  others,  perhaps, 
who  come  before  you?"  and  he  addressed 
himself  to  my  companion,  probably  because 
he  bore  the  passports.  Then  continued : 
"If  'tis  a  senor  and  senora  you  desire, 
they  are  in  the  fonda  half  a  league  fur- 
ther on." 

"7%*y,"  he  said,  "lT/ieyf  God  be 
praised!  "  I  murmured.  Had  any  tragedy 
occurred  it  would  not  have  been  "  they."* 

Not  waiting  to  answer,  but  briefly  nod- 
ding my  thanks,  we  went  on,  the  last  half 
league  dwindling  to  little  more  than  paces 
now. 

And  then  I  saw  the  fonda,  a  place  no  big- 
ger than  a  wooden  cabin.  I  saw  a  woman! 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  367 

seated  on  a  bench  outside  against  its  wall, 
her  elbows  upon  her  knees,  her  dark  head 
buried  in  her  hands. 

She  heard  the  ring-  of  our  horses'  hoofs 
upon  the  road,  all  sodden  as  it  was  with 
half-melted  snow,  and  sprang  to  her  feet  — 
then  advanced  some  paces  and,  shading  her 
eyes,  looked  up  the  way  that  we  were  com- 
ing; dashed  next  her  hand  across  those 
eyes  as  though  doubting  what  she  saw,  and 
ran  down  the  road  toward  us. 

"  As  I  leapt  from  my  horse  she  screamed, 
"Mervan!"  and  threw  herself  into  my 
arms,  her  lips  meeting  mine  in  one  long 
kiss,  then  staggered  back  some  paces  from 
me,  exclaiming : 

"How!  How, 'oh,  my  love,  how  —  how 
have  you  escaped  —  found  your  way  here 
—  tome?" 

"How? "I  repeated  after  her,  startled 
at  the  question  ;  startled,  too,  at  the  tone  of 
her  voice.  "  How  !  Do  I  not  owe  my  sal- 
vation to  you  —  to  your  power  over  him  — 
the  Alcaide  ?  " 

"My God!  No! "she answered.  "Never 
would  he  have  aided  you  to  escape."  Then, 
suddenly,  as  some  thought  struck  her,  she 
screamed  aloud:  "Mervan  —  Mervan  — 
where  is  my  unhappy  father? " 

"  Your  father  !    Is  he  not  here  ?  " 


368  ACROSS  THE  SALT   SEAS. 

"No  1  No  !  No !  Oh,  God  !  what  has 
happened?  Has  he  been  left  behind  to 
meet  his  doom  ?  " 

And,  as  she  spoke,  she  reeled  and  would 
have  fallen  had  I  not  caught  her  in  my  arms. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
"LIAR,  i  WILL  KILL  YOU!" 

He  had  been  left  behind — and  I  was 
here !  He  whose  escape  had  been  arranged 
for  was  still  a  prisoner  —  I,  whose  doom 
had  been  fixed,  was  free. 

What  did  it  mean?  What  mystery  had 
taken  place? 

One  glance  toward  the  fonda  fifty  yards 
away  was  sufficient  to  show  that  mystery 
there  was  —  as  unintelligible  to  another  as 
to  Juana.  And  more  than  mystery !  —  that 
my  presence  here  was  as  hateful  as  unex- 
pected, to  one  person  at  least.  To  Morales, 
the  Alcaide ! 

For  even  as  my  love  recovered  suffi- 
ciently to  be  able  to  stand  without  my  as- 
sistance, though  still  leaning  heavily  upon 
me,  I  —  looking  toward  that  fonda  —  saw 
Morales  issuing  rapidly  from  it,  his  sword 
carried  in  his  left  hand,  his  right  hand 
plucking  the  blade  from  the  scabbard. 
And  —  more  ominous  still  of  what  his  in- 
tentions were,  as  well  as  of  his  fury  I  —  as 
he  ran  toward  us  he  flung  the  now  empty 

MO 


370  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

sheath  away  from  him  and  rushed  forward, 
the  bare  blade  gleaming1. 

Then  as  he  reached  the  spot  where  we 
both  stood  together,  the  mute  behind  us  — 
while,  even  as  I  too  plucked  the  sword  the 
poor  creature  had  furnished  me  with  from 
its  scabbard  and  stood  upon  my  guard,  I 
saw  that  his  stolid  face  expressed  not  only 
fear  but  something  else  —  astonishment!  — 
Morales  shouted,  his  words  tumbling  pell 
mell  over  each  other  so  much  as  to  be  diffi- 
cult of  understanding. 

"Wretches!  Traitor!  Traitress!  'T  is 
thus  I  am  deceived — hoodwinked !  Tricked 
and  ruined  so  that  your  lover  may  be 
restored  to  your  false  arms.  So  be  it  — 
thus,  also,  I  avenge  myself,"  and  —  horror! 
—  he  made  a  pass  at  Juana  as  she  stood  by 
my  side.  He  was  a  Spaniard — and  his  love 
had  turned  to  hate  and  gall! 

Yet  ere  the  shriek  she  uttered  had 
ceased  to  ring  on  the  wintry  morning  air, 
the  deadly  thrust  that  was  aimed  full  at  her 
breast  was  parried  by  my  own  blade;  put- 
ting her  behind  me  with  my  left  hand,  I 
struck  full  at  him,  resolved  that  ere  another 
five  minutes  were  over  his  own  life  should 
pay  for  that  craven  attempt;  struck  full 
at  his  own  breast,  missing  it  only  by  an 
inch,  yet  driving  him  back  from  me. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  371 

Back,  step  by  step,  yet  knowing-  even  as 
I  did  so  that  it  was  no  odds  on  me  in  this 
encounter,  that  here  was  a  swordsman  who 
would  dispute  every  thrust  of  mine;  that  it 
would  be  lucky  if  his  long-  blade  did  not 
thread  my  ribs  ere  my  own  weapon  found 
his  heart. 

It  behooved  me  to  be  careful,  I  knew. 
Already,  in  the  first  moment,  he  had  set- 
tled down  to  fighting  carefully  and  cau- 
tiously ;  already  one  devilish  Italian  thrust 
was  given — he  must  have  crossed  the 
Alps,  I  thought,  to  learn  it !  —  that  almost 
took  me  unawares ;  that,  had  my  parry  not 
been  quick,  would  have  brought  his  quillon 
hurtling-  at  my  breast,  with  the  blade 
throug-h  me.  Yet,  it  had  failed  !  and  with 
the  failure  the  chance  was  g-one. 

"I  know  your  thrust,"  I  whispered, 
maybe  hissed,  at  him;  "'twill  serve  no 
more." 

But  even  as  I  said  these  words  it  came 
to  me  that  I  should  not  win  this  fight,  that 
he  was  the  better  man  —  my  master  —  at 
the  game  —  that  I  was  lost.  And  as  I 
thought  this  I  saw  —  while  we  shifted 
ground  a  little  on, the  sodden  snow  —  the 
mute  standing  gazing-  earnestly,  almost 
fascinated,  upon  us ;  I  saw  some  people 
at  the  door  of  t\\Q  fonda  —  a  man  and  a 


372  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

woman — regarding-  us  with  horror-stricken 
glances  —  I  saw  Juana  on  her  knees,  per- 
haps praying !  It  might  be  so,  since  her 
head  was  buried  in  her  hands  ! 

And  if  he  won,  if  he  slew  me,  even 
wounded  and  disabled  me,  she  was  lost, 
too;  with  me  out  of  the  way,  with  her 
father  dead  or  still  a  prisoner,  nothing  could 
save  her.  Her  last  hope  would  be  gone. 

That  spurred  me,  egged  me  on,  put  a 
fierce  and  fresh  determination  in  my  heart, 
since  I  had  not  lost  my  courage,  but  only  my 
confidence.  That,  and  one  other  thing ;  for 
I  saw  upon  the  melting  snow  beneath  our 
feet,  even  as  we  trod  it  into  water,  a  tinge 
of  crimson ;  I  saw  a  few  drops  lie  spotting  it 
—  and  I  knew  that  that  blood  was  not  mine. 
Therefore,  I  had  touched  him,  had  only 
missed  his  life  by  a  hair's  breadth  ;  next 
time  it  might  not  be  drops  —  might  be  the 
heart's  blood  of  him  who  had  sought  that 
of  my  loved  one  ! 

Still,  I  could  not  do  it,  could  not  thrust 
through  and  through  him.  Every  drive, 
every  assault,  was  parried  easily.  Once, 
when  I  lunged  so  near  him  that  I  heard  his 
silk  waistcoat  rip,  he  laughed  a  low,  mock- 
ing laugh  as  he  thrust  my  blade  aside  with 
a  turn  of  his  iron  wrist ;  I  could  not  even, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  373 

as  I  tried,  take  him  in  the  sword  arm  and 
so  disable  him. 

Also,  I  knew  what  was  in  his  mind,  spe- 
cially since,  for  some  few  moments,  he  had 
ceased  to  thrust  back  at  me.  He  was  bent 
on  tiring-  me  out.  Then  —  then  —  his  op- 
portunity would  have  come,  would  be  at 
hand. 

"Disable  him!  Disable  him!"  Why 
did  those  words  haunt  my  brain,  ring 
through  it  again  and  again  ;  seem  to  deaden 
even  the  scraping  hiss  of  steel  against  steel. 
"Disable  him  !  "  What  memory  was  aris- 
ing- in  that  brain  of  some  one,  something, 
long  forgotten  ?  A  second  later,  even  as  I 
felt  my  point  bring  pressed  lower  and  lower 
by  his  own  blade,  knew  a  lunge  was  coming 
—  parried  it  as  it  came  —  safely  once  more, 
thank  God  !  —  I  remembered,  knew  what 
that  memory  meant. 

Recalled  a  little,  hunchbacked  Italian 
escrimeur  who  used  to  haunt  a  fence  school 
at  the  back  of  the  Exchange  in  the  Strand ; 
a  man  whose  knowledge  of  attack  was  poor 
in  the  extreme,  yet  who  could  earn  a 
beggar's  wage  by  teaching  some  marvellous 
methods  of  disarming  an  adversary.  And 
I  had  flung  him  a  crown  more  than  once  to 
be  taught  his  tricks  ! 

Now  those  crowns  should  bear  interest ! 


374  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

I  changed  my  tactics,  lunged  no  more ; 
our  blades  became  silent ;  they  ceased  to 
hiss  like  drops  of  water  falling-  on  live  coals 
or  hot  iron ;  almost  they  lay  motionless 
together,  mine  over  his,  yet  I  feeling 
through  blade  and  hilt  the  strength  of  that 
black,  hairy  wrist  which  held  the  other 
weapon.  Also,  I  think  he  felt  the  strength 
of  mine ;  once  his  eye  shifted,  though  had 
the  moment  been  any  other  the  shift  would 
have  been  unnoticeable. 

That  was  my  time  !  Swift  as  lightning, 
I,  remembering  the  dwarf's  lessons  of  long 
ago  —  why  did  I  remember  also  the  little 
sniggering  chuckle  he  used  to  utter  as  he 
taught  them?  —  drew  back  my  sword  an 
inch,  then  thrust,  then  back  again  with  a 
sharp  wrench,  and,  lo  1  Morales'  sword  was 
flying  through  the  air  three  feet  above  his 
head  —  he  was  weaponless  !  My  own  was 
drawn  back  a  second  later,  another  moment 
I  should  have  avenged  his  assassin's  thrust 
at  Juana  —  yet  I  could  not  do  it.  For  he, 
recognising  he  was  doomed,  stood  there  be- 
fore me,  his  arms  folded  over  his  breast,  his 
eyes  confronting  mine. 

"  Curse  you  !  "  he  said,  "you  have  won. 
Well  —  kill  me.  At  once." 

No  need  for  me  to  say  that  could  not  be. 
In  the  moment  that  I  twisted  his  weapon  out 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.     375 

of  his  wrist  I  had  meant  to  slay  him,  had 
drawn  back  my  own  weapon  to  thrust  it 
through  chest  and  lung's  and  back,  and 
stretch  him  dead  at  my  feet  —  yet  now  I 
spared  him. 

Villain  as  he  was  —  scoundrel  who  would 
traffic  with  a  broken-hearted  woman  for  her 
honour  and  her  soul  as  a  set-off  against  her 
father's  safety,  and,  in  doing-  so,  also  betray 
the  country  he  served  —  I  could  not  slay  a 
defenceless  man. 

His  sword  had  fallen  at  my  feet ;  one  of 
them  was  upon  it.  I  motioned  to  him  now 
to  return  to  ihefonda  —  to  begone. 

"You  have  missed  your  quarry,"  I 
said;  "'twill  never  fall  to  your  lure  again. 
Away  ! " 

Yet,  still  standing  there  before  us  —  for 
now  Juana  had  once  more  flown  to  my  side, 
and  was  sobbing  bitterly,  her  wild,  passion- 
ate words  expressing  partly  her  thanks  to 
God  for  my  double  safety,  and  partly  her 
bewailings  that  her  father  had  gone  to  his 
fate  —  he  had  something  to  say,  could  not 
depart  without  a  malediction. 

"Curse  you  both!"  he  exclaimed  once 
more.  "  Curse  you  !  Had  I  known  of  your 
trick  you  should  all  have  burnt  and  grilled 
on  the  drasdroere  this  —  ay,  even  you,  wan- 
ton 1  —  ere  I  had  let  you  fool  me  so." 


376  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Then  he  turnedaway as  though  to  goback 
to  ihefonda,  yet  returned  again,  and,  strid- 
ing back  to  where  the  mute  stood  motion- 
less, his  expression  one  of  absolute  vacancy 
—  as  though,  in  truth,  he  was  only  now  be- 
come dumb  from  utter  surprise  —  he  struck 
at  him  full  in  the  face  with  his  clenched  fist. 

"Dolt,  idiot,  hound!"  he  said.  "Was 
it  to  aid  in  such  treachery  against  me  as 
this  that  I  saved  you  from  the  Inquisition  ? 
God  !  that  I  had  left  them  to  take  your  use- 
less life  !  Dumb  fool !  " 

I,  standing  there,  with  Juana  still  cling- 
ing to  my  neck,  as  she  had  done  since  the 
duel  was  over,  saw  the  man  stagger  back 
and  wipe  the  blood  from  his  lips  ;  saw,  too, 
his  hands  clench  firmly ;  saw  him  take  one 
step  forward,  as  though  he  meant  to  throw 
himself  upon  Morales  ;  then  stop  suddenly, 
and  do  nothing.  Perhaps  even  now,  after 
this  foul  blow,  he  remembered  that  he  had 
been  saved  from  death  once  by  him  who 
struck  that  blow. 

But  a  moment  later  he  approached  the 
Alcaide,  though  now  humbly,  and  like  a 
beaten  slave  who  sues  for  pardon,  and  en- 
treats that  no  further  punishment  shall 
be  dealt  out  to  him,  and,  an  instant  after, 
began,  with  fingers  and  hands  and  many 
strange  motions,  to  tell  his  master  some- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  377 

thing  —  something  in  a  dumb  language  that 
was,  still,  not  the  deaf  and  dumb  language 
in  common  use,  and  which  I  myself  chanced 
to  know,  yet  one  that  none  could  doubt  both 
of  these  men  were  in  the  habit  of  convers- 
ing in. 

He  was  telling  some  strange  tale,  I  saw 
and  understood  by  one  glance  at  my  late  op- 
ponent's face  ;  neither  could  any  doubt  that 
who  gazed  upon  it ! 

At  first  that  face  expressed  amazement, 
incredulity  —  all  the  emotions  that  are  to  be 
observed  on  the  countenance  of  one  who 
listens  to  some  story  which  he  either  cannot 
believe,  or  thinks  issues,  at  best,  from  a 
maniac.  Yet  gradually,  too,  there  came 
over  the  face  of  Morales  another  look  — 
the  look  of  one  who  does  believe  at  last,  in 
spite  of  himself;  also  there  dawned  on  it 
a  hideous,  gloating  expression,  such  as 
might  befit  a  fiend  who  listens  to  the  tor- 
tured cries  of  a  victim. 

What  did  it  mean?  What  tale  was  that 
stricken  creature  telling  him  by  those  sym- 
bols, which  none  but  he  understood? 
What?  What? 

A  moment  later  we  knew  —  if  Morales 
did  not  lie  to  us. 

The  mute  had  ceased  his  narrative,  his 
bands  made  no  further  signs,  and,  slowly, 


378  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

he  stepped  back  again  to  where  the  horses 
we  had  travelled  on  stood  together,  the 
reins  of  one  tied  to  the  other  —  and  Morales 
turned  to  us,  his  features  still  convulsed 
with  that  horrible  expression  of  gloating. 

"I  have  wronged  you,"  he  said,  raising 
his  forefinger  and  pointing  it  at  Juana,  who 
shuddered  and  clasped  me  closer  even  as 
he  did  so';  "and  you,  "glancing  at  me.  "The 
treachery  was  not  yours,  but  another's ;  un- 
less—  unless" — and  he  paused  as  though 
seeking  for  words  —  "unless  it  should  be 
termed  otherwise.  Say,  not  treachery,  but 
—  sublime  sacrifice." 

"  What ! "  from  both  her  lips  and  mine. 
"What!" 

"Your  father,"  he  said,  "had  his 
chance"  —  and  again  that  forefinger  was 
pointed  at  her — "this  poor  fool,  my  servant, 
went  to  set  him  free  ;  the  horse  was  waiting 
for  him  —  only,  instead,  it  has  borne  you  to 
safety"  —  and  now  he  glanced  at  me  — 
"also there  was  his  sword  for  him — that  by 
your  side." 

"My  God!  My  God!"  I  heard  Juana 
whisper  on  my  breast. 

"Only  he  —  this  buccaneer  —  would  not 
accept  it,  not  take  it.  He,  stained  deep 
with  crime  as  he  was,  his  name  an  accursed 
one  through  all  the  Indies  —  men  spit  upon 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  379 

the  ground  there,  they  say,  with  loathing 
when  they  hear  it  mentioned,  even  now  — 
could  bear  all  thing's  but  one.  Shall  I  tell 
you  what  that  one  thing-  is?  "  and  he  glanced 
again  at  Juana,  a  very  hell  of  hate  in  his 
look. 

But  she  could  only  moan  upon  my  bosom 
and  murmur :  "  My  father !  Oh,  my 
father ! " 

"He  could  not  bear,"  Morales  went  on, 
"  that  his  child  should  be  what  he  knew  she 
had  become  by  now  —  my  friend " 

"Liar!"  I  cried.  "I  will  kill  you  for 
this." 

"Could  not  bear  that  she  should  bring 
deeper  disgrace  than  even  he  had  done  upon 
your  tainted  names.  Therefore  he  refused 
to  come  ;  therefore  he  preferred  the  flames 
to  which  he  has  gone"  —  a  wild,  piercing 
scream  broke  from  Juana  as  he  said  those 
words — "and  —  so — so — that  there  should 
be  nothing  rise  up  to  prevent  him  from 
going  to  his  death,  so  that  he  should  put 
away  from  himself  all  chance  of  salvation 
from  that  death  and  earn  his  oblivion  from 
disgrace,  he  persuaded  this  fool  that  a  mis- 
take had  been  made  —  that  'twas  you,  not 
he,  who  was  to  be  saved,  allowed  to  escape." 

"You  lie,"  I  said  again.  "You  lie. 
Some  part  of  this  story  is  true,  some  false* 


380  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Gramont  never  believed  that  she  would  give 
herself  to  you ;  knew  that  she  meant  to  slay 
herself  the  instant  she  was  assured  of  his 
safety.  Spanish  dog-,  you  lie,  and  I  will  have 
your  life  for  it." 

"It  is  true,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "as  true 
as  that  an  hour  after  you  left  Lugo  he  was 
led  out  and  burnt  at  the  brastro  —  the  bra- 
s6ro  that  was  prepared  for  you.  Now,"  and 
once  more  he  addressed  Juana,  "you  have 
your  lover  back  again  —  be  happy  in  the 
possession ;  in  the  knowledge  that  his  life 
is  saved  by  the  loss  of  your  father's.  Be 
happy  in  that." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  DEAD  MAN*S  EYES — THE  DEAD  MAN'S 
HANDS. 

Was  Juana  dying,  I  asked  myself  that 
night  —  dying  of  misery  and  of  all  that  she 
had  gone  through?  God,  He  only  knew  — 
soon  I  should  know,  too. 

Ere  I  had  carried  her  to  the  fonda, 
Morales  had  disappeared,  his  afflicted  fol- 
lower with  him  —  ere  we  reached  the  mis- 
erable room,  in  which  she  had  passed  the 
two  nights  that  had  elapsed  since  she  had 
come  here  with  him  who  had  bartered  for 
the  sacrifice  of  her  honour  against  her 
father's  safety,  I  heard  the  trample  of 
horses'  hoofs,  I  saw  from  the  inn  window 
both  those  men  ride  swiftly  away,  their 
road  being  that  which  led  on  into  Portugal. 

It  was  not  possible  that  I  should  follow 
him  and  exact  vengeance  for  all  that  he  had 
done  or  attempted  to  do  against  her,  force 
him  once  more  to  an  encounter,  disarm  him 
again  —  and,  when  he  was  thus  disarmed, 
spare  him  no  further.  Not  possible,  be- 
cause, henceforth,  my  place  was  by  her 

381 


382  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

side.  I  must  never  leave  her  again  in  life 
—  leave  her  who  had  come  to  this  through 
her  love  of  me,  her  determination  to  follow 
me  through  danger  after  danger,  reckless 
of  what  might  befall. 

She  lay  now  upon  her  bed,  feverish  and 
sometimes  incoherent,  yet,  at  others,  sane 
and  in  her  right  mind,  and  it  was  at  one  of 
such  moments  as  these  that  I,  sitting  by 
her  side,  heard  her  whisper : 

"Mervan,  where  is  that  man  —  Mo- 
rales?" 

"  He  is  gone,  dear  heart ;  he  will  trouble 
you  no  more.  And  —  and  —  remember  we 
are  free.  As  soon  as  you  are  restored  we 
can  leave  here  —  there  is  nothing  to  stop 
us  now.  My  journey  through  Spain  and 
France  can  never  be  recommenced  —  we 
must  make  for  England  by  sea  somehow. 
Then,  when  I  have  placed  you  in  safety,  I 
must  find  my  way  across  to  Flanders." 

For  a  while  she  lay  silent  after  I  had 
said  this;  lay  there,  her  lustrous  eyes  open, 
and  with  the  fever  heightening  and  inten- 
sifying, if  such  were  possible,  her  mar- 
vellous beauty.  For  now  the  carmine  of 
her  cheeks  and  lips  was  —  although  fever's 
ensign!  —  even  more  strikingly  lovely  than 
before;  this  woman  on  whom  I  gazed  so 
fondly  was  beyond  all  compare  the  most 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  383 

beautiful  creature  on  which  my  eyes  had 
ever  rested.  As  I  had  thought  at  first,  so, 
doubly,  I  thought  now. 

Presently  she  moaned  a  little,  not  from 
bodily  pain,  but  agony  of  mind,  as  I  learnt 
shortly  —  then  she  said  : 

"  Mervan,  why  do  you  stay  by  my  side  — 
why  not  go  at  once  back  to  your  own  land  ? 
Leave  me?" 

"Juana!"  I  exclaimed,  deeming  that  I 
had  mistaken  her  state,  and  that,  in  truth, 
she  was  beside  herself.  Then  added, 
stupidly  and  in  a  dazed  manner:  "Leave 
you!" 

"Ay.  Why  stay  by  me?  You  have 
heard,  know  all,  whose  child  —  to  my  eter- 
nal shame ! — I  am.  The  child  of  that  blood- 
stained man,  Gramont.  Ay,"  she  said, 
again,  "he,  that  other,  Morales,  spoke  true. 
There  is  no  name  in  all  the  Indies  remem- 
bered with  such  hate  and  loathing  as  his. 
And  I  —  I  —  am  his  child.  Go  —  leave  me 
to  die  here." 

"Juana,"  I  said,  "can  you  hear  me, 
understand  what  I  am  saying — going  to  say 
to  you?  Is  your  brain  clear  enough  to  com- 
prehend my  words  ?  Speak  —  answer  me. " 

For  reply  she  turned  those  eyes  on  me  ; 
beneath  the  dark  dishevelled  curls  I  saw 


384  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

their  clear  glance  —  I  knew  that  all  I  should 
say  would  be  plain  to  her. 

"Listen  to  my  words, "  I  continued  there- 
fore. "  Listen  —  and  believe  ;  never  doubt 
more.  Juana,  I  love  you  with  my  whole 
heart  and  soul  —  before  all  and  everything 
else  this  world  holds  for  me.  I  love  you.  I 
love  you.  I  love  you,"  and  as  I  spoke  I 
bent  forward  and  pressed  my  lips  to  her  hot 
burning  ones.  "And  you  tell  me  to  leave 
you,  because,  forsooth  1  you  are  his  child. 
Oh !  my  sweet,  my  sweet,  if  you  were  the 
child  of  one  five  thousand  times  worse  than 
he  has  been,  ay !  even  though  Satan  claimed 
you  for  his  own,  I  would  love  you  till  my  last 
breath,  would  never  quit  your  side.  Juana, 
we  are  each  other's  forever  now." 

"No!    No!     No!" 

"Yes,  I  say,"  I  cried  almost  fiercely. 
"  Yes.  We  are  each  other's  alone.  You  are 
mine,  mine,  mine.  I  have  no  other  thought, 
no  other  hope  in  all  this  world  but  you.  If 
—  if  —  our  faith  were  the  same  I  would  send 
for  a  priest  now  who  should  make  us  one  ; 
there  should  be  no  further  moment  elapse 
in  all  the  moments  of  eternity  before  you 
were  my  wife." 

I  felt  the  long  slim  hand  tighten  on  mine 
for  an  instant,  then  release  it  a  moment 
later  ;  but  she  said  no  more  for  a  time.  Yet 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  385 

the  look  on  her  face  was  one  of  happiness 
extreme.  After  a  while,  however,  she  spoke 
again. 

"The  admiral  knew,"  she  whispered. 
"  He  had  found  out  my  secret." 

For  a  moment  I  could  not  recall  what 
she  referred  to  —  the  incidents  which  had 
happened  in  such  quick  succession  since 
we  had  quitted  the  fleet  had  almost  obliter- 
ated from  my  memory  the  recollection 
of  all  that  had  taken  place  prior  to  that 
time.  Yet  now  I  remembered,  and  —  re- 
membering—  there  came  back  to  me  Sir 
George  Rooke's  strange  diffidence  after 
she  had  seized  his  hand  and  pressed  it  to 
her  heart.  Also,  I  recalled  the  deference 
with  which  he  had  treated  her  whom  I 
thought  then  to  be  no  more  than  a  hand- 
some, elegant  youth,  as  well  as  my  feeling 
of  surprise  at  that  deference. 

And  still,  as  I  reflected  over  this,  there 
was  one  other  thing  in  connection  with  him 
which  also  came  back  to  me  ;  his  words,  to 
wit,  that  there  were  even  worse  things  than 
shot  or  steel  or  death  to  cloud  a  brave 
man's  career  —  that  many  a  soldier  had 
gone  down  before  worse  than  these.  And 
I  knew  now  against  what  he  had  intended 
to  warn  me  —  against  the  woman  now  lying 
here  sore  stricken,  the  woman  whom  I 


386  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

loved  and  worshipped,  the  one  who   had 
been  to  me  as  faithful  as  a  dog. 

"So  be  it,"  I  said  to  myself,  "so  be 
it.  If  I  am  to  become  bankrupt  and  ship- 
wrecked through  my  love  for  her,  I  must 
be.  Henceforth  she  is  all  in  all  to  me,  and 
there  is  nothing-  else  in  my  life.  Yet,  up 
to  now,  the  admiral's  warning  has  been  but 
little  realised  —  I  owe  no  ruin  to  her,  but, 
rather,  salvation." 

For  I  could  not  but  recall  that  'twas 
through  her  that  any  loophole  of  escape 
had  come  to  me  in  the  prison  of  Lugo ;  to 
her  unhappy  father  that  I  owed,  if  Morales 
had  spoken  true,  the  absolute  escape  itself. 

Even  as  I  sat  there  meditating  thus  she 
moaned  again :  "  My  father.  My  lost, 
doomed  father,"  and  once  more  I  heard  her 
whisper:  "His  child!  His  child!  The 
saints  pity  me  !  " 

And  now  I  set  myself  to  place  that  lost 
father  before  her  in  a  far  different  light 
than  that  in  which  she  regarded  him  —  to 
make  her  believe  that,  when  almost  all  in 
the  Indies  who  had  their  account  with  the 
sea  had  in  their  time  been  much  as  he  had 
been,  his  crimes  were  not  so  black  as  they 
appeared  to  her ;  to  also  paint  in  glowing 
colours  that  sublime  sacrifice  —  Morales 
had  termed  it  truthfully  !  — which  he  had 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  387 

made  in  remaining  behind  whilst  I  escaped, 
in  dying  while  opening  to  me  the  path  to 
life  and  freedom. 

"Juana,  my  sweet,"  I  said,  speaking 
low,  yet  as  sympathetically  as  I  could  to 
her,  "  Juana,  you  deem  his  sin  greater  than 
it  is.  Also,  remember,  't  is  almost  certain 
Morales  lies  when  he  said  he  died  because 
—  because  —  of  your  flight  with  him.  For, 
remember  —  what  the  vagabond  forgot  in 
his  rage  and  hate  I  —  remember,  he  knew 
of  your  resolve,  your  determination  to  pre- 
tend to  give  yourself  to  him  in  exchange 
for  his  safety." 

As  I  said  these  words  I  saw  her  eyes 
glisten,  saw  her  head  turned  more  toward 
me  on  the  pillow  —  in  her  face  the  expres- 
sion of  one  to  whose  mind  comes  back  the 
recollection  of  a  forgotten  fact,  a  truth. 

"  Dids!  "  she  whispered,  "  it  was  so.  He 
knew  of  my  intention.  '  T  is  true ;  Morales 
lied.  Yet,"  she  went  on  a  moment  later, 
"yet  that  cannot  cleanse  him  from  his  past 
sins,  purge  his  soul  from  the  crimes  with 
which  'tis  stained." 

"Crimes!"  Ire-echoed,  "Crimes! Think, 
recall,  -my  beloved,  what  those  crimes 
were.  Those  of  buccaneer,  '  t  is  true,  yet 
not  so  bad  but  that  all  like  him  were  not 
deemed  too  sunken  in  sin  to  be  refused  par- 


388  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

don  by  Spain,  by  France,  even  by  my  own 
land.  Those  pardons  were  sent  out  to  the 
Indies  shortly  before  he  was  thought  to  be 
lost  —  had  he  returned  to  France,  then  he 
would  have  held  a  position  of  honour  under 
Louis." 

"  How?  "  she  asked  —  and  now  I  noticed 
that  in  her  face  there  seemed  to  be  a  look  of 
dawning  hope,  a  look  too,  as  though  with 
that  newborn  hope  there  was  a  return  of 
strength  accompanied  by  an  absence  of 
such  utter  despair  as  had  broken  her  down. 
"  How  know  you  that?  " 

"  I  was  there  in  the  court  when  he  was 
tried,"  I  said,  "I  heard  his  words  —  and 
none  who  heard  them  could  doubt  their 
truth,  no  more  than  they  could  his  fierce 
denouncement  of  that  unutterable  villain, 
Eaton.  Juana,"  I  said,  endeavouring  to 
speak  as  impressively  as  was  in  my  power, 
to  thrust  home  more  decisively  the  growing 
conviction  to  her  heart  that  Gramont  was 
not  the  devil  he  had  been  painted,  "you 
must  teach  yourself  to  think  less  ill  of  your 
father  than  report  has  made  him.  And — 
and  remember,  he  could  have  escaped  an 
he  would ;  it  was,  as  that  man  said,  a  sublime 
sacrifice  when  he  went  to  his  doom." 

"But  why?"  she  asked,  "why?" 
Though  even  as  she  did  so,  I  saw,  I  knew, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  389 

that  in  her  heart  there  was  the  hope  and 
wish  to  find  something  that  might  whiten 
his  memory  for  her. 

"Why,"  I  repeated,  bending  near  to  her, 
speaking  as  deeply  and  earnestly  as  I  could ; 
above  all,  the  softened  feeling  I  was  endeav- 
ouring to  bring  about  in  her  heart  toward 
that  lost,  dead  father  must  be  made  to  grow, 
until  at  last  she  should  regard  his  memory 
with  pity  if  naught  else.  "Why,  because 
as  I  do  believe,  as  I  believe  before  God,  he 
knew  we  loved  each  other,  Juana " 

"Ah,  Mervan!" 

"Because  his  life  was  already  far  spent, 
because  ours  were  in  their  spring ;  because, 
it  may  be,  he  knew  that  with  him  gone  and 
me  escaped  in  his  place  there  was  the  hope 
of  many  happy  years  before  you — with  me — 
of  years  always  together,  of  our  being  ever 
by  each  other's  side  until  the  end.  Juana, 
my  beloved,  my  love,  think  not  of  him  as  one 
beyond  pardon  and  redemption,  but  rather 
as  one  who  purified  forever  the  errors  of  his 
life  by  the  deep  tenderness  and  sacrifice  of 
his  end." 

I  had  won. 

As  I  concluded  she  raised  herself  from 
the  pillows  on  which  she  lay,  the  long 
shapely  arms  met  round  my  neck,  the  dark 
curly  head  sank  to  my  shoulder ;  soon 


390  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

nothing  broke  the  silence  of  the  room  but 
her  sobs.  Yet  ever  and  again  she  whis- 
pered through  her  tears  :  "  My  father,  my 
unhappy  father.  May  God  forgive  me  if  I 
have  judged  you  too  harshly." 

Soon  after  that  I  left  her  sleeping  peace- 
fully and  with,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  much  of 
her  fever  gone  —  yet  even  as  she  slept  I, 
sitting  watching  by  her  side,  saw  still  the 
tears  trickle  forth  from  beneath  the  long 
eyelashes  that  fringed  her  cheeks,  and  knew 
that  in  her  sleep  she  was  dreaming  of  him. 

But  again  I  told  myself  that  I  had  won ; 
that  henceforth  the  memory  of  her  father's 
erring  life  would  not  stand  between  her  and 
me,  between  our  love. 

The  peasant  who  kept  the  miserable  inn, 
and  whose  curiosity  as  to  all  that  had  taken 
place  recently  —  the  arrival  of  Juana  and 
Morales,  the  duel,  and  then  the  rapid  de- 
parture of  him  and  the  mute,  while  I  re- 
mained behind  in  his  place — was  scarcely 
appeased  by  my  curt  and  stern  information 
that  the  lady  above  was  shortly  to  become 
my  wife,  told  me  that  there  was  no  suitable 
sleeping  place  for  me  other  than  the  public 
room.  The  other  sefior,  he  said,  had  had 
to  make  shift  with  that,  since  the  one  spare 
room  which  the  senora  occupied  was  the 
only  one  available  in  the  house.  He  sup- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  391 

posed,  he  added  gruffly,  that  I,  too,  could 
do  the  same  thing.  There  was  a  bench  — 
and  he  pointed  as  he  spoke  to  a  rough 
wooden  thing  which  did  not  promise  much 
ease  or  rest  —  on  which  the  other  senor  had 
slept ;  also  a  deep  chair,  in  which  one  might 
repose  easily  before  the  fire.  Would  that 
doj?  Yes,  I  answered,  either  would  do  very 
well.  I  was  fatigued,  and  could  sleep  any- 
where. All  I  asked  was  that  I  should  be 
left  alone. 

This  was  done,  though  ere  the  man  and 
his  wife  departed  to  their  quarters  for  the 
night  the  latter  took  occasion  to  make  a  re- 
mark to  me.  The  lady,  she  observed,  if  she 
might  make  so  bold  as  to  say  it,  seemed  to 
be  of  an  undecided  frame  of  mind.  When 
she  and  the  other  senor  arrived  she  had 
understood  that  he  was  the  person  to  whom 
she  was  about  to  be  married.  It  was 
strange,  she  thought,  that  the  lady  should 
elope  over  the  border  with  one  senor,  to  be 
married  to  another.  However,  she  added, 
it  was  no  affair  of  hers. 

"It  is  no  affair  of  yours,"  I  said  sternly 
once  more.  "  Leave  me  alone  and  interfere 
not  in  our  affairs.  Your  bill,"  I  continued, 
"will  be  paid;  that  is  sufficient."  Whereon 
she  said  that  was  all  that  was  required,  and 
so,  at  last,  I  was  left  to  myself. 


392  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Left  to  myself  to  sit  in  the  great  chair 
before  the  fire  and  muse  on  all  that  had 
lately  occurred  to  make  my  journey  toward 
Flanders  a  failure;  to  muse  still  more  deeply 
on  the  love  that  had  come  to  me  unsought, 
unthought  of;  the  love  that,  when  I  had  at 
last  accomplished  my  task  and  rejoined 
Marlborough,  would,  I  hoped,  crown  my  life. 

Yet,  as  the  snow  beat  against  the  win- 
dow, for  once  more  it  was  a  rough  night  and 
the  wind  howled  here  as  it  had  howled  the 
night  before,  across  in  Spain  —  while  as  be- 
fore the  flakes  falling1  on  the  rude  panes 
seemed  to  my  mind  to  resemble  ghostly 
finger-tips  that  touched  the  glass  and  then 
were  drawn  off  it  back  into  the  darkness 
without  —  I  thought  also  of  the  now  dead 
and  destroyed  man,  the  buccaneer  who,  all 
blood-guilty  as  he  was,  had  yet  gone  to  a 
doom  that  he  might  have  escaped  from. 

And  my  thought  prevented  sleep,  even 
though  I  had  not  now  slept  for  many,  many 
hours —  my  terrible  reflections  unstrung 
me  —  it  seemed  almost  as  if  the  spirit  of 
that  dead  man  had  followed  me,  was  out- 
side the  rough  wooden  door ;  as  if,  amidst 
those  falling  and  swift-vanishing  snow- 
flakes  on  the  glass,  I  saw  his  eyes  glaring 
out  of  the  blackness  into  the  room.  And 
soon  I  became  over-wrought,  the  gentle 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  393 

beat  of  the  snow  became  the  tap  of  a  hand 
summoning1  me  to  open  and  admit  his  spec- 
tral form  —  an  awful  fantasy  took  posses- 
sion of  me ! 

Was,  I  asked  myself  —  as  furtively  I 
turned  my  eyes  to  those  solemn,  silent 
flakes  that  fell  upon  the  window  pane, 
rested  there  a  moment  gleaming-  white, 
then  vanished  into  nothingness  —  was  the 
lost  soul  of  that  man  hovering-  outside  the 
door  or  that  window  —  the  soul  that  but  a 
few  hours  ago  had  quitted  his  body? 

If  I  looked  again  at  the  casement  should 
I  see,  as  though  behind  some  dark  veil,  the 
eyes  of  Gramont  glaring  into  the  room ;  see 
those  flakes  of  snow  take  more  tangible 
form  —  the  form  of  a  dead  man's  fingers 
scratching  at  the  panes,  tearing  at  them  to 
attract  my  attention? 

Distraught  —  maddened  by  the  terror 
of  my  thoughts,  fearful  of  myself,  of  the 
silence  that  reigned  through  the  house,  I 
sprang  to  my  feet  —  I  was  mad!  —  I  must 
go  out  into  the  gloom  and  blackness  of  the 
night 

God !  —  what  was  that? 

There  was  a  tapping  at  the  door  —  a 
footstep  —  next  a  tap  at  the  window.  The 
hands  were  there  ;  I  saw  the  fingers  —  the 
snow  falling  round  them — on  them.  I  saw, 


394  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

too,  the  eyes  of  Gramont  peering1  in  at  me. 

"What  is  it?"  I  cried  hoarsely.  "What? 
What?" 

Then  through  the  roar  of  the  tempest 
without,  through  the  shriek  of  the  wind, 
above  the  loud  hum  of  the  torrent,  I  heard 

—  or  was  I  mad  and  dreaming  that  I  heard  ? 

—  the  words : 

"  Open.     To  me  —  her  father." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"LET  us  KISS  AND  PART." 

As  I  unbarred  the  door  that  gave  di- 
rectly from  the  miserable  living-room  of 
the  house  to  the  outside  he  came  in,  the 
snow  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  cape  he 
wore  —  some  flakes  even  upon  his  face. 

"  You  are  alive  1  Escaped  !  "  I  whis- 
pered, recognising  that  this  was  no  phan- 
tom of  my  brain,  but  the  man  himself. 
"Safe!  Thank  God!' 

"  Where  is  she?  "  he  asked,  pausing  for 
no  greeting,  giving  me  none.  "  My  child  ! 
Is  she  safe  ?  Or  —  have  I  come  too  late  ?  " 

"She  is  here  —  safe.     It  is  not  too  late." 

His  eyes  roamed  round  the  room  ;  then, 
not  seeing  her,  he  continued  : 

"  Where  ?    I  must  see  her  —  once. " 

"Once?" 

"  For  the  last  time.  After  that  we  shall 
never  meet  again.  The  shadow  of  my  life, 
my  past,  must  fall  on  her  no  more.  Yet  — 
once  —  I  must  see  her.  Lead  me  to  where 
she  is." 

905 


396  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"She  has  been  ill,  delirious — is  crushed 
by  all  that  has  happened  —  by " 

"All  that  she  has  learnt,"  he  inter- 
rupted, his  voice  deep  and  solemn — broken, 
too.  "  Yet  I  must  see  her." 

"She  is  asleep  above." 

For  answer  to  this  he  made  simply  a 
sign,  yet  one  I  understood  very  well  —  a 
sign  that  I  should  delay  no  longer. 

"  Come,"  I  said,  "  come."  And  together 
we  went  up  the  narrow  stairs  to  the  room 
she  occupied  —  stole  up  them,  as  though  in 
fear  of  waking  her. 

Pushing  the  door  open  gently,  we  saw 
by  the  rays  of  the  veilleuse^  which  I  had 
ordered  to  be  placed  in  the  room,  that  she 
was  sleeping  ;  observed  also  that  our  entry 
did  not  disturb  her ;  also  it  was  easy  to  per- 
ceive that  she  was  dreaming.  Sometimes, 
as  we  standing  there  gazed  down,  the  long, 
dark  lashes  that  drooped  upon  her  cheeks 
quivered ;  from  beneath  them  there  stole 
some  tears  ;  once,  too,  the  rosy  lips  parted, 
and  a  sigh  came  from  between  them. 

"My  child,  my  child  !"  Gramont  whis- 
pered to  himself,  "child  of  her  whom  I 
loved  better  than  my  life  —  that  we  should 
meet  at  last,  only  to  part  forever  !" 

And  from  his  own  eyes  the  tears  rolled 
down  —  from  his !  He  stooped  and  bent 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   397 

over  her ;  his  face  approached  hers ;  his 
lips  touched  that  white  brow,  over  which 
the  short-cut  hair  curled  in  such  glorious 
dishevelment,  while  he  murmured  : 

"Unclose  those  eyelids  once,  look  for 
the  last  time  on  me."  Then  he  half-turned 
his  head  away,  as  though  to  prevent  his 
own  tears  from  falling1  on  and  awaken- 
ing her. 

Was  he  a  sorcerer,  I  wondered,  even 
as  I  watched — a  sorcerer,  as  well  as  other 
things  unnamable?  Had  he  the  power  over 
his  own  child  to  thus  reach  her  mind  and 
brain,  even  though  both  were  sunk  in  a 
deep,  feverish  sleep?  In  truth,  it  ap- 
peared so. 

For,  even  as  he  spoke,  those  eyelids  did 
unclose,  the  dark,  dreamy  eyes  gazed  up 
into  his,  while,  slowly,  the  full,  white, 
rounded  arms  encircled  his  neck,  and  their 
lips  met,  and  from  him  I  heard  the  whis- 
pered words : 

"Farewell,  farewell,  forever.  Oh,  my 
child,  my  child  !  " 

Yet —  and  I  thanked  God  for  it  then,  as 
ever  since  I  have  thanked  Him  again  and 
again !  —  he  had  turned  away  ere  the  an- 
swering whisper  came  from  her  lips,  had 
not  heard  the  words  that  fell  from  them  — • 
words : 


398  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

"  Mervan,  Mervan,  my  beloved  ! " 
Thanked  God  he  had  not  known  how,  in 

her  sleep,  she  deemed  those  kisses  mine, 

and  dreamed  of  me  alone. 

********* 

As  the  night  went  on  the  storm  in- 
creased, the  snow  no  longer  came  in  flakes 
against  the  window  of  the  room  below,  in 
which  we  sat,  but,  instead,  lay  thick  and 
heavy  in  masses  on  the  sill  without  —  was 
driven,  too,  against  the  window  by  the 
fierce,  tempestuous  wind  that  howled  down 
from  the  mountains  above,  and  rocked  the 
miserable  inn. 

"There  is  no  going  on  to-night,"  Gra- 
mont  said,  coming  in  out  of  the  storm  after 
having  gone  forth  to  attend  to  the  horse 
that  had  brought  him  from  Lugo,  and  hav- 
ing bestowed  it  in  the  stables,  where  were 
the  animals  on  which  Juana  and  I  had  also 
ridden.  "No  going  on  to-night."  Then,* 
changing  the  subject  abruptly,  he  said  : 
"Where  is  that  man?" 

Not  pretending  to  doubt  as  to  whom  he 
made  allusion,  I  said  : 

"The  Alcaide?" 

"Ay,  the  Alcaide." 

Whereon  I  told  him  of  all  that  had  hap- 
pened since  my  arrival  with  the  mute,  and 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   399 

of  his  immediate  departure  further  on  into 
Portugal. 

"You  should  have  slain  him, "he  said, 
"  the  instant  you  had  disarmed  him.  You 
loved  Juana  and  she  you  —  she  told  me  so 
when  she  divulged  his  scheme  to  me  in  the 
prison  —  you  should  never  have  let  him  go 
free  with  life." 

"I  had  disarmed  him.  I  could  not  slay 
a  weaponless,  defenceless  man." 

"One  slays  a  snake  —  awake  or  sleep- 
ing. He  merited  death." 

"Yet  to  him,  in  a  manner,  we  all  owe 
our  lives.  Juana  —  I — you." 

"  Owe  our  lives  1  Owe  our  lives  to  him  ! 
To  one  who  trafficked  with  my  girl's  hon- 
our as  against  her  father's  freedom  ;  a  man 
who  betrayed  his  trust  to  his  own  country 
as  a  means  whereby  to  gratify  his  own  evil 
desires  !  And  for  you  —  for  me  —  what  do 
we  owe  him?  The  chance  of  my  escape 
came  from  another's  hand  than  his." 

"  From  another's  !  You  could  have  es- 
caped even  without  that  vile  compact  made 
between  —  God  help  us  —  Juana  and  him  ?  " 
"Ay  —  listen.  You  stood  by  my  side  in 
the  court  when  they  tried  us  ;  you  heard  a 
voice  in  that  court ;  saw  the  man  who 
called  out  in  loud  tones  to  the  man,  Mor- 


400  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

ales.     You  saw  him,  observed,  maybe,  that 
he  bore  about  him  the  signs  of  a  sailor." 

As  he  spoke  there  came  to  me  a  recol- 
lection of  something1  more  than  this  —  a 
recollection  of  where  I  had  seen  that  man 
again,  of  how  it  was  he  who  crouched  be- 
hind the  fallen  masses  of  blasted  rock  in 
the  passage  beneath  the  bed  of  the  river 
through  which  I  had  passed  to  freedom  ; 
also,  I  remembered  the  great  gold  rings  in 
his  ears,  and  the  glistening  of  one  upon  the 
guarding  of  his  cloak  as  he  shrank  back 
into  the  darkness. 

"I  remember  him, "I  said,  "very  well 
• —  also,  I  saw  him  again,  on  the  night  that 
mute  led  me  forth,  helped  me  to  escape." 

"  'T  is  so.  That  man  saved  me,  was 
bent  on  saving  me  from  the  moment  he 
saw  my  face  in  the  court.  He  is  a  Bis- 
cayan  —  yet  we  had  met  in  other  lands; 
once  I  had  saved  his  life  —  from  Eaton.  He 
—  that  doubly  damned  traitor  —  that  mon- 
ster of  sin  —  had  taken  him  prisoner  in  a 
pink  he  owned,  yet  had  not  captured  her 
without  a  hard  fight,  in  which  this  man, 
Nunez  Picado,  nearly  slew  him.  Then, 
this  was  Eaton's  revenge:  He  bound  him 
and  set  him  afloat  in  a  dismantled  ketch  he 
had  by  him,  that  to  which  Picado  was 
bound  being-  a  barrel  of  gunpowder.  And 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  401 
in  that  barrel  was  one  end  of  a  slow  match, 
the  other  end  alight  and  trailing  the  length 
of  the  ketch's  deck." 

"  My  God  !  " 

"So  slow  a  match  that  it  would  take 
hours  ere  it  reached  the  powder,  hours  in 
which  the  doomed  wretch  would  suffer  ten 
thousand-fold  the  tortures  of  the  damned. 
Yet  one  thing  Eaton  forgot  —  forgot  that 
those  hours  of  long  drawn-out  horror  to  his 
victim  were  also  hours  in  which  succour 
might  come.  And  it  was  so.  I  passed  that 
craft  drifting  slowly  to  and  fro  off  Porto 
Rico.  In  the  blaze  of  the  noontide  I  saw  a 
brighter,  redder  light  than  the  sparkle  of 
sun  on  counter  and  brass  — when  I  stepped 
on  board  the  ketch  there  was  not  a  foot  of 
the  slow-match  left  —  not  an  hour  longer  of 
life  left  to  the  man.  Only,  the  bitterness 
of  death  was  over  for  him  then  —  he  was 
a  raving  maniac,  and  so  remained  for 
months." 

"  He  has  at  last  repaid  you  in  full." 

"Ay!  In  full.  He  knew  the  secret  way 
into  the  ramparts ;  all  was  concocted,  all 
arranged  for  our  escapes." 

"  For  yours  and  hers  ?  " 

"  For  hers  and  mine.  Had  it  not  been 
that  you  had  to  be  saved  also  — that  the 
freedom  which  Juana  had  obtained  from 


402  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

Morales  for  me  must  be  transferred  to  you, 
since  I  needed  it  not,  she  would  never  have 
been  allowed  to  go  forth  with  him.  I  or 
Picado  would  have  slain  him  in  the  prison 
and  escaped  with  her." 

"  I  begin  to  understand." 

"  'T  was  best,  however,  to  let  her  go 
forth  unknowing  —  at  least  it  removed  him 
away  from  what  had  to  be  done — made  it 
certain  that  he  could  not  impede  your  es- 
cape. The  rest  was  easy.  I  persuaded 
the  mute  that  'twas  you,  not  I,  whom  it 
was  intended  to  save,  that 't  was  for  you  her 
letter  was  meant,  that  it  was  I  who  was 
doomed." 

"And  Eaton  ?    Eaton  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Eaton  has  paid  the  forfeit  of  his  treach- 
ery," he  said.  "It  has  rebounded  on  his 
own  head.  The  brasero  thirsted  for  its 
victim  —  the  populace  for  its  holiday.  They 
have  had  it.  Trust  Nunez  Picado  for  that." 

He  said  no  more,  neither  then  nor  later, 
and  never  yet  have  I  learnt  how  that  vilest 
of  men  was  the  substitute  for  those  whom 
he  had  hoped  and  endeavoured  to  send  to 
the  flames.  Yet,  also,  never  have  I  doubted 
that  it  was  done,  since  certain  it  is  that 
from  that  time  he  has  never  again  crossed 
my  path. 

"The  storm  increases,"  Gramont  said, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  403 

as  he  strode  to  the  window  and  peered  out 
into  the  darksome  night.  "  Yet  —  yet —  I 
must  go  on  at  daybreak.  I  —  I  have  that 
which  needs  take  me  on." 

"Stay  here  with  us,"  I  cried,  "  stay  here. 
Juana  will  be  my  wife  at  the  first  moment 
chance  offers.  Stay." 

"Nay,"  he  said.  "Nay.  She  and  I 
must  never  meet  again.  That  is  the  ex- 
piation of  my  life  which  I  have  set  myself 
—  I  will  go  through  with  it.  In  that  last 
kiss  above,  I  took  my  farewell  of  her  for- 
ever in  this  world." 

"  What  will  you  do?  "  I  asked  through 
my  now  fast-falling  tears,  tears  that  none 
needed  to  be  ashamed  of;  tears  that  none, 
listening  to  his  heart-broken  words  as  they 
dropped  slowly  from  his  lips,  could  have 
forborne  to  shed.  "What  is  your  life  to  be?" 

"God  only  knows,"  he  replied;  "yet 
one  of  penitence,  of  prayers  for  forgiveness 
so  long  as  that  life  lasts.  Thereby — there- 
by—  I  shall  be  fitter  for  the  end.  I  am 
almost  old  now;  it  may  not  be  far  off." 

Silence  came  upon  us  after  that  —  a 
silence  broken  only  by  the  howl  of  the 
wind  outside  the  lonely  house,  by  the  thud 
of  snow  falling  now  and  again  from  the  roof 
and  eaves  —  blown  off  by  the  fury  of  the 
tempest.  But  broken  by  scarcely  aught 


404  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

else,  unless  't  was  a  sigh  that  occasionally, 
and  all  unwittingly,  as  I  thought,  escaped 
from  that  poor  sinner's  overcharged  breast. 
Yet,  for  the  rest,  nothing;  no  sound  from 
that  room  above,  where  Juana  lay  sleeping; 
nothing  but  sometimes  the  expiring  logs 
falling  together  with  a  gentle  clash  in  the 
grate. 

Then  suddenly,  as  I  almost  dozed  on  one 
side  of  those  logs,  he  being  on  the  other,  I 
heard  him  speaking  to  me,  his  voice  deep, 
sonorous  and  low  —  perhaps  he  feared  it 
might  reach  her  above!  —  yet  clear  and 
distinct. 

"Evil,"  he  said,  "as  my  existence  has 
been,  misjudge  me  not.  None  started  on 
life's  path  meaning  better  than  I.  God 
help  me!  none  drifted  into  worse  extremes. 
Will  you  hear  my  story  —  such  as 't  is  meet 
you  should  know — you  who  love  my  child?" 

I  bowed  my  head ;  I  whispered,  "Yes." 
Once,  because  I  pitied  him,  I  gently  touched 
his  hand  with  mine. 

"I  was  a  sailor,"  he  went  on,  nis  dark 
eyes  gleaming  tenderly  at  that  small  offer- 
ing of  my  sympathy,  "  bred  up  to  the  sea, 
the  only  child  of  a  poor  Protestant  woman. 
Later  —  when  Louis  the  king  first  fell 
under  the  thrall  of  the  wanton,  De  Mainte- 
non,  my  mother  died  of  starvation,  ruined 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  405 

by  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
ruined  ere  that  revocation  by  the  shadow 
it  cast  before  it  on  all  of  our  faith.  Think 
you  that  what  was  doing-  in  the  Indies  by 
the  Spaniards  made  me  love  the  followers 
of  the  Romish  church  more?  " 

He  paused  a  moment — again  he  went  on : 
"In  the  Indies  to  which  I  had  wandered, 
I  met'with  men  who  had  sworn  to  extirpate, 
if  might  be,  every  Spaniard,  every  one  of 
those  who  in  their  time  swore  that  there 
was  to  be  no  peace  beyond  the  line.  That 
was  their  oath  —  we  helped  them  to  keep  it, 
made  it  our  watchword,  too.  All  of  us, 
Morgan,  Pointis,  Avery,  Lolonois,  your 
other  countryman,  Stede  Bonnet,  a  hundred 
others,  all  of  different  lands,  yet  all  of  one 
complexion  —  hatred  against  Spain.  And 
there  -was  no  peace  beyond  the  line.  You 
are  a  soldier,  may  be  one  for  years,  yet  you 
will  never  know  blood  run  as  blood  ran 
then.  You  may  rack  cities,  even  Louis' 
own  capital,  you  will  never  know  what 
sharing  booty  means  as  we  knew  it.  Ere 
I  was  thirty  I  possessed  a  hundred  thou- 
sand gold  pistoles,  ere  another  year  had 
passed  I  owned  nothing  but  the  sword  by 
my  side,  the  deck  I  trod." 

"Yet,"  I  said,  "when  you  were  lost  — 


406  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

disappeared  —  you  left  your  child  a  fortune 

—  which  Eaton  stole." 

"I  did  more,"  he  answered.  "I  left  her 
that  —  but  —  I  left  her  another  which  Eaton 
could  not  steal.  She  has  it  now;  it  is,  it 
must  be  safe.  Do  you  know  your  wife 
brings  you  a  great  dowry  ?  " 

I  started  —  I  had  never  thought  of  this  I 

—  yet,  ere  I  could  say  aught,  he  went  on 
again. 

"I  pass  over  much.  I  come  to  twenty 
yearsago.  Eaton  was  my  lieutenant;  we  were 
about  to  besiege  Maracaibo,  a  gallant  com- 
pany three  hundred  strong.  Well,  let  me 
hurry — see,  the  daylight  is  coming.  I  must 
away  —  Maracaibo  fell,  our  plunder  was 
great.  Also,  we  had  many  prisoners. 
Amongst  them  one,  a  girl,  young  and  beau- 
tiful; God  !  she  was  an  angel !  " 

"  Juana's  mother  that  was  to  be,"  I  whis- 
pered, feeling  sure. 

"Hear  me.  She  was  my  prize  —  there 
were  others,  but  I  heeded  them  not,  had  eyes 
only  for  her.  Her  ransom  was  fixed  at  five 
thousand  pistoles,  because  she  was  the  niece 
of  the  wealthiest  man  of  all,  to  be  paid  ere 
we  sailed  three  days  later.  And  I  prayed 
that  they  might  never  be  forthcoming,  that 
I  might  bear  her  away  with  me,  teach  her 
to  love  me  as  I  loved  her." 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  407 

"And  they  were  not  paid?"  I  asked 
breathlessly. 

"  We  did  not  sail  in  three  days'  time  ;  the 
money  of  the  place  had  been  sent  away  in- 
land on  our  approach ;  also  one-half  our  body 
were  all  mad  with  drink  ashore.  '  T  was 
more  nigh  three  weeks  ere  we  were  ready 
to  depart." 

"And  the  lady?" 

"Her  uncle  had  died  meanwhile  of  a 
fever  —  yet  —  yet  —  the  ransom  was  forth- 
coming1. She  was  affianced  to  a  planter ;  he 
came  on  board  my  ship,  and  with  him  he 
brought  the  gold." 

"Ah!" 

"My  oath  bound  me  to  take  it  —  had  I 
refused,  my  brethren  had  the  right  — since 
we  had  laws  regulating-  all  things  amongst 
us  —  to  remove  me  from  my  command.  I 
had  to  see  him  count  the  gold  out  on  the 
cabin  table,  to  tell  her  she  was  free  to  go." 

"And  she  went?  "  I  asked  again,  almost 
breathless. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

GONE. 

"She  went,"  he  continued,  "and  I 
thought  that  she  was  gone  from  me  for- 
ever, since,  filibuster  as  I  was,  as  I  say,  my 
oath  to  my  companions  bound  me  to  set  her 
free  upon  payment  of  the  ransom.  Yet,  by 
heaven's  grace,  she  was  mine  again  ere 
long." 

He  paused,  looking  out  of  the  snow- 
laden  window  through  which  there  stole 
now  a  greyness  which  told  of  the  coming  of 
the  wintry  day;  pointed  toward  it  as  though 
bidding  me  remember  that  his  time  with 
me  was  growing  short ;  then  went  on : 

"  I  was  ashore  for  the  last  time  before 
we  sailed  for  Port  Royal ;  those  of  us  who 
were  something  better  than  brutish  ani- 
mals seeking  for  those  who  were  wallowing 
in  debauchery;  finding  them,  too,  either 
steeped  in  drink,  or  so  overcome  by  their 
late  depravity  that  they  had  to  be  carried 
on  board  the  ships  like  logs.  Then,  as  we 
passed  down  a  street  seeking  our  comrades, 
I  saw  her  again — saw  her  lovely  face  at  the 

408 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  409 

grilled  window  of  a  house  that  looked  as 
though  it  might  be  a  convent;  at  a  window 
no  higher  from  the  ground  than  my  own 
head.  And  she  saw  me  too,  made  a  sign 
that  I  should  stop,  should  send  on  my  com- 
pany out  of  earshot ;  which  done,  she  said : 

"  'Save  me.     For  God's  sake,  save  me! ' 

"'Save  you,  Senorita,'  I  whispered,  for 
I  knew  not  who  might  be  lurking  near,  might 
be,  perhaps,  within  the  dark  room  to  which 
no  ray  of  the  blazing  sun  seemed  able  to 
penetrate ;  '  save  you  from  what,  from 
whom?' 

"  '  From  him  who  ransomed  me  —  Dibs! 
that  you  had  not  taken  the  money.  I  hate 
him,  was  forced  to  be  affianced  to  him,  am  a 
prisoner  here  in  this  convent  until  to-mor- 
row, when  I  am  to  become  his  wife.' 

"'Yet,  Senorita,'  I  murmured — 'how 
to  do  it?  These  walls  seem  strong,  each 
window  heavily  grated,  doubtless  the  house 
well  guarded  —  and — and  we  sail  at  day- 
break.' 

"  '  Yet  an  entrance  may  be  made  by  the 
garden, '  she  whispered  in  reply  ;  '  the 
house  is  defended  by  negroes  only  —  my 
room  at  the  top  of  the  stairs.  Save  me. 
Save  me.'  " 

Again    Gramont    paused  —  again   h§ 


410  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

pointed  at  the  day-spring  outside — hur- 
riedly he  went  on: 

"I  saved  her.  Twenty  of  us  —  that  vile 
Eaton  was  one! — passed  through  the  garden 
at  midnight — up  those  stairs — killing  three 
blacks  who  opposed  us" — even  as  he  spoke 
I  remembered  Eaton's  ravings  inLaMouche 
Noire  as  to  the  dead  men  glaring  down  into 
the  passage ;  knew  now  of  what  his  frenzied 
mind  had  been  thinking  on — "bore  her 
away.  Enough  1  three  months  later,  we 
were  married  in  Jamaica! " 

He  rose  as  though  to  go  forth  and  seek 
his  horse,  determined  to  make  his  way  on 
in  spite  of  the  snow  that  lay  upon  the 
ground  in  masses  —  because,  as  I  have 
ever  since  thought,  he  had  sworn  to  un- 
dergo his  self-imposed  expiation  of  never 
gazing  more  upon  his  child's  face!  —  then 
he  paused,  and  spoke  once  more  : 

"She  died,"  and  now  his  voice  was 
broken,  trembled,  "in  giving  birth  to  her 
who  is  above  ;  died  when  I  had  grown  rich 
again  —  so  rich  that  when  I  sailed  for 
France,  my  pardon  assured,  my  commis- 
sion as  Lieutenant  du  Roi  to  Louis  in  my 
pocket,  I  left  her  with  Eaton,  not  even  then 
believing  how  deep  a  villain  he  was  ;  think- 
ing, too,  that  I  should  soon  return.  Left 
with  him,  also,  a  fortune  for  her,  What 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  411 

happened  to  her  and  that  fortune  you  have 
learnt.  Yet,  something-  else  you  have  to 
learn.  Her  mother's  name  had  been  Bel- 
monte,  and  when  Juana  fled  from  Eaton, 
driven  thence  by  his  cruelty,  she,  knowing- 
this,  found  means  to  communicate  with  an 
old  comrade  of  mine,  by  then  turned  priest 
and  settled  at  the  other  end  of  the  island  — 
at  Montego.  Now,  see  how  things  fall 
out ;  how,  even  to  one  belonging-  to  me, 
God  is  good.  'T  was  in  '86  I  sailed  for 
France,  my  commission  in  my  cabin  — 
nailed  in  my  pride  to  a  bulkhead  —  when, 
alas !  madman  as  I  was,  I  encountered  a 
great  ship  —  a  treasure  ship,  as  I  believed, 
sailing  under  Spanish  colours.  And  —  and 
—  the  devil  was  still  strong  in  me  —  still 
strong  the  hatred  of  Spain  —  the  greed  and 
lust  of  plunder.  God  help  me  !  God  help 
and  pardon  me  !  "  and  as  he  spoke  he  beat 
his  breast  and  paced  the  dreary  room,  now 
all  lit  up  by  the  daylight  from  without. 
Even  as  I  write  I  see  and  remember  him, 
as  I  see  and  remember  so  many  other 
things  that  happened  in  those  times. 

"We  boarded  her,"  he  continued,  a  mo- 
ment later;  "we  took  her  treasure;  she 
was  full  of  it  —  yet  even  as  we  did  so  I 
knew  that  I  was  lost  forever  in  this  world, 
all  chance  of  redemption  gone  —  my  hopes 


412  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

of  better  things  passed  away  forever.  For 
she  was  sailing  under  false  colours ;  she 
was  a  French  ship,  one  of  Louis'  own,  and, 
seeing  that  we  ourselves  carried  the  Span- 
ish flag,  the  better  to  escape  the  ships  of  war 
of  Spain  that  were  all  about,  had  herself  run 
them  up.  And  we  could  not  slay  them  and 
scuttle  the  ship — we  had  passed  our  word  for 
their  safety  —  moreover,  an  we  would  have 
done  so  't  was  doubtful  if  we  should  have 
succeeded.  There  were  women  on  board, 
and,  though  the  men  fought  but  half-heart- 
edly to  guard  the  treasure  that  was  their 
king's,  they  would  have  fought  to  the  death 
for  them.  Therefore,  we  emptied  the  vessel 
of  all  that  it  had  —  we  left  them  their  lives 
—  let  them  go  free." 

"  But  why,  why  ?  "  I  asked,  still  not  com- 
prehending how  this  last  attack  upon  an- 
other ship  —  and  that  but  one  of  many 
stretching  over  long  years  !  —  should  be 
so  fateful  to  him,  "  why  not  still  go  on  to 
France,  commence  a  new  life  under  better 
surroundings  ?  " 

"Why?"  he  repeated,  "why?  Alas! 
you  do  not  understand.  I,  a  commissioned 
officer  of  the  French  king,  had  made  war 
on  his  ships,  taken  his  goods;  also,"  and 
he  drew  a  long  breath  now,  "also  there 
were  those  on  board  who  knew  and  recog-- 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  413 

nised  me  —  we  had  met  before  —  knew  I 
was  Gramont.  That  was  enough.  There 
was  no  return  to  France  for  me ;  or,  if  once 
there,  nothing  but  the  block  or  the  wheel." 

"God  pity  you,"  I  gasped,  "to  have 
thrown  all  chance  away  thus  —  thus!" 

He  seemed  not  to  heed  my  words  of 
sympathy,  wrung  from  me  by  my  swift 
comprehension  of  all  he  had  lost ;  instead, 
he  stood  there  before  me,  almost  like  those 
who  are  turned  to  stone,  making  no  move- 
ment, only  speaking  as  one  speaks  who 
encounters  a  doom  that  has  fallen  on  him, 
as  one  who  tells  how  hope  and  he  have 
parted  forever  on  wide,  diverging  roads. 

"  There  were  others  besides  myself,"  he 
continued,  "  who  had  ruined  all  by  their  act 
of  madness,  others  of  my  own  land  who 
had  gained  their  pardon,  and  lost  it  now 
forever,  flung  away  all  hopes  of  another 
life,  of  happier  days  to  come,  for  the  dross 
that  we  apportioned  between  ourselves, 
though  in  our  frenzy  we  almost  cast  it  into 
the  sea.  As  for  my  share,  though  'twas 
another  fortune,  I  would  not  touch  a  pistole, 
but  sent  it  instead  to  the  priest  I  have 
spoken  of  —  sent  it  by  a  sure  hand  —  and 
bade  him  keep  it  for  my  child,  add  it  to 
that  which  Eaton  held  for  her ;  told  him, 


414  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

too,  to  guard  it  well,  since  neither  he  nor 
she  would  ever  see  me  more  ! " 

"And  after  —  after  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  After,  we  disbanded  —  parted.  I  went 
my  way,  they  theirs ;  earned  my  living 
hardly,  yet  honestly,  in  Hispaniola;  should 
never  have  left  the  island  had  I  not  discov- 
ered that  Eaton,  who  even  then  sometimes 
passed  under  the  name  of  Carstairs  —  that 
was  his  honest  name  —  and  who  had  long 
since  disappeared  from  my  knowledge, 
was  having  a  large  amount  of  goods  and 
merchandise  shipped  under  that  name  in 
the  fleet  of  galleons,  about  to  sail  as  soon  as 
possible.  And  then —  then  —  knowing  how 
he  had  treated  the  child  I  left  in  his  care  — 
the  child  of  my  dead  and  lost  love — I  swore 
to  sail  in  those  galleons,  to  find  him,  to 

avenge "  He  paused,  exclaiming, 

"Hark!  What  is  that?" 

Above  —  I  heard  it  as  soon  as  he — there 
was  a  footfall  on  the  floor.  We  knew  that 
Juana  was  moving,  had  arisen. 

"Go  to  her,"  he  said,  and  I  thought  that 
his  voice  was  changed — was  still  more 
broken —  "  Go ;  it  may  be  she  needs  some- 
thing. Go." 

"  Is  this  our  last  farewell  ?  Surely  we 
shall  meet  again," 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  415 

"Go.  And  —  and  —  tell  her  —  her  father 
—  nay.  Tell  her  nothing1.  Go." 

O'ermastered  by  his  words,  by,  I  think, 
too,  the  misery  of  the  man  who  had  been  my 
companion  through  the  dreary  night,  my 
heart  wrung  with  sorrow  for  him  who  stood 
there  so  sad  a  figure,  I  went,  obeying-  his 
behest. 

But  ere  I  did  so,  and  before  I  opened  the 
door  that  gave  on  the  stairs  leading  to  her 
room,  I  took  his  hand,  and  whispered : 

"It  is  our  last  farewell!  Yet  —  oh, 
pause  and  think  —  she  is  your  child.  Have 
you  no  word  —  no  last  word  of  love  nor  plea 
for  pardon  —  to  send  ?  " 

For  a  moment  his  lips  quivered,  his 
breast  heaved  and  he  turned  toward  the 
other,  and  outer,  door,  so  that  I  thought  he 
meant  to  go  without  another  sign.  But, 
some  impulse  stirring  in  his  heart,  he  moved 
back  again  to  where  I  stood  ;  murmuring, 
I  heard  him  say  : 

"  In  all  the  world  she  has  none  other  but 
you.  Remember  that.  Farewell  forever. 
And  —  in  days  to  come  —  teach  her  not  to 
hate  —  my  memory.  Farewell. " 

Then,  his  hand  on  the  latch  of  the  outer 
door,  he  pointed  to  the  other  and  the  stairs 
beyond. 

While  I,  stealing  up  them,  knew  that 


416  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

neither  his  child  nor  I  would  ever  see 
him  more,  and,  so  knowing,  prayed  that 
God  would  at  last  bring-  ease  and  comfort  to 
the  erring1  man. 

As  I  neared  the  door  of  the  room  in  which 
she  had  slept  she  opened  it  and  came  forth 
upon  the  bare  landing- — pale,  as  I  saw  in  the 
light  of  the  now  fully  broken  day,  but  with 
much  of  the  fever  gone  ;  also  with,  upon  her 
face,  that  smile  which  ever  made  summer  in 
my  heart. 

"You  are  better,"  I  said,  folding  her  to 
me,  "better?  Have  slept  well ?  Is  it  not 
so?"  Yet,  even  as  I  spoke,  I  led  her  back 
to  the  room  whence  she  had  come.  She 
must  not  descend  yet !  "  You  have  not 
stirred  all  through  the  night,  I  know." 

"  I  dreamt,"  she  said,  "  that  you  came  to 
me,  bade  me  farewell  forever.  Yet  that 
passed,  and  again  I  dreamed  that  we  should 
never  part  more.  Therefore,  I  was  happy, 
even  in  my  sleep."  Then  broke  off  to  say: 
*'  Hark !  They  are  stirring  in  the  house. 
Are  the  horses  being  prepared?  I  hear 
one  shaking  its  bridle.  Can  any  go  forth 
to-day  ?  "  and  she  moved  toward  the  win- 
dow. 

"Nay,  Juana,"  I  said,  leading  her  back 
again,  although  imperceptibly,  to  the  middle 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  417 

of  the  room,  "do  not  go  to  the  window.  The 
cold  is  intense — stay  here  by  my  side." 

Not  guessing-  my  reason  —  since  it  was 
impossible  she  should  understand  what 
was  happening  below !  —  I  led  her  back. 
Led  her  back  so  that  she  should  not  see 
one  come  forth  from  the  stable  whom  she 
deemed  dead  and  destroyed  —  so  that  she 
should  not  be  blasted  by  the  sight  of  her 
father  passing  away  in  actual  life  from  her 
forever ;  then  sat  down  by  her  side  and  led 
the  conversation  to  our  future  —  to  how  we 
should  get  away  from  here  to  England  and 
to  safety.  Also,  I  told  her  not  to  bewail,  as 
she  did  again  and  again,  my  failure  to  pro- 
ceed further  on  my  journey  to  Flanders 
and  the  army ;  demonstrated,  to  her  that, 
at  least,  there  had  been  no  failure  in  the 
mission  I  had  undertaken ;  that  my  secret 
service  had  been  carried  out  —  and  well 
carried  out,  too  —  and,  consequently,  my 
return  mattered  not  very  much  with  re- 
gard to  a  week  or  month.  The  allies, 
I  said,  could  fight  and  win  their  battles 
very  well  without  my  aid,  as  I  doubted 
not  they  were  doing  by  now,  while  — 
for  the  rest  —  had  I  not  done  my  share 
both  here  and  in  Spain?  Proved,  too 
—  speaking  a  little  self-vauntingly,  per- 
haps, by  reason  of  my  intense  desire  to 


418  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

soothe  and  cheer  her  and  testify  that  she 
had  been  no  barrier  in  my  path  to  glory  — 
that  I,  also,  though  far  away  from  my  com- 
rades, had  stood  in  the  shadow  of  death, 
had  been  face  to  face  with  the  grim  mon- 
ster equally  with  those  who  braved  the 
bayonets,  the  muskets  and  the  cannon  of 
Louis'  armies. 

But  all  the  time  I  spoke  to  her  my  ap- 
prehension was  very  great,  my  nerves 
strung  to  their  bitterest  endurance,  my 
fear  terrible  that  she  would  hear  the  man 
below  going  forth,  that  she  might  move  to 
the  window  and  see  him  —  and  that,  thus 
seeing,  be  crushed  by  the  sight. 

For  I  knew  that  he  was  moving  now  — 
that  he  was  passing  away  forever  from  this 
gloomy  spot  which  held  the  one  thing  in  all 
the  world  that  was  his,  and  linked  him  to 
the  wife  he  had  loved  so  dearly ;  knew  that, 
solitary  and  alone,  he  was  about  to  set 
forth  into  a  dreary  world  which  held  no 
home  for  him  nor  creature  to  love  him  in 
his  old  age.  I,  too,  heard  the  bridle  jan- 
gling again  ;  upon  the  rough  boards  of  the 
stable  beneath  the  windows  of  the  fonda  I 
heard  the  dead,  dull  thump  of  a  horse's 
hoofs ;  I  knew  that  the  animal  was  moving 
—  that  he  was  setting  out  upon  his  journey 
of  darkness  and  despair. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.   419 

"You  are  sad,  Mervan,"  she  said,  her 
cheek  against  mine,  while  her  voice  mur- 
mured in  my  ear.  "  Your  words  are  brave, 
yet  all  else  belies  them." 

"It  is  not  for  myself,"  I  answered.  "Not 
for  myself." 

The  starry  eyes  gazed  into  mine,  the 
long,  slim  hand  rested  on  my  shoulder. 

"For  whom?"  she  whispered.  "For 
whom  ?  For  him  ?  My  father  ?  " 

I  bowed  my  head  —  from  my  lips  no 
words  seemed  able  to  come  —  yet  said  at 
last: 

"For  him.  Your  father."  Then,  for  a 
moment,  we  sat  there  together,  saying 
nothing.  But  soon  she  spake  again. 

"  My  thoughts  of  him  are  those  of  pity 
only,  now,"  she  murmured  once  more. 
"  Pity,  deep  as  a  woman's  heart  can  feel. 
And  —  and  —  my  love  —  remember,  I  never 
knew  who  my  father  was  until  that  scene  in 
the  inn  at  Lugo  —  thought  always  his,  our, 
name  was  in  truth  Belmonte.  The  secret 
was  well  kept — by  Eaton,  for  his  own  ends, 
doubtless  ;  by  my  father's  friend,  the  priest 
who  had  once  been  as  he  was,  for  his  past 
friendship's  sake.  If  I  judged  him  harshly, 
a  life  of  pity  for  his  memory  shall  make 
atonement." 

As  she  said  these  words,  while  I  kissed 


420  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

and  tried  to  comfort  her,  she  rose  from 
where  we  were  sitting  and  went  to  the  win- 
dow, I  not  endeavouring  to  prevent  her  now, 
feeling  sure  that  he  was  gone ;  for  all  had 
become  very  still;  there  was  no  longer  any 
sound  in  the  stable,  nor  upon  the  snow, 
which,  as  I  had  seen  as  the  day  broke,  had 
frozen  and  lay  hard  as  iron  on  the  ground 
beneath  it. 

Yet  something  there  was,  I  knew,  that 
fascinated  her  as  she  gazed  out  upon  the 
open ;  something  which  —  as  she  turned 
round  her  face  to  me  —  I  saw  had  startled, 
terrified  her.  For,  pale  as  she  had  been 
since  we  had  met  again  here,  and  with  all 
the  rich  colouring  that  I  loved  so  much  gone 
from  her  cheeks,  she  was  even  whiter,  paler 
than  I  had  ever  known  her  —  in  her  eyes, 
too,  a  stare  of  astonishment,  terror. 

"  Mervan  !  "  she  panted,  catching  her 
breath,  her  hand  upon  her  heart,  "  Mervan, 
look,  oh,  look ! "  and  she  pointed  through 
the  window. 

"See,"  she  gasped,  "  see.  The  form  of 
one  whom  I  deemed  dead  —  or  is  he  in  truth 
dead,  and  that  his  spectre  vanishing  into 
the  dark  wood  beyond?  See,  the  black 
horse,  that  which  he  bestrode  that  night  — 
oh  !  Mervan  —  Mervan  —  Mervan  —  why 
has  his  spirit  returned  to  earth?  Will  it 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  421 

haunt  me  forever  —  forever  —  punish  me 
because  of  my  shame  of  him  ?  " 

And  while  I  saw  the  horseman's  figure 
disappear  now  —  and  forever  —  into  the 
darkness  of  the  pine  forest,  she  lay  trem- 
bling1 and  weeping-  in  my  arms.  To  calm 
which,  and  also  bring  ease  to  her  troubled 
heart,  I  told  her  all. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

ALWAYS   TOGETHER   NOW. 

The  frost  held  beneath  a  piercing  east 
wind  which  blew  across  the  mountains  that 
separated  Portugal  from  Leon,  so  that  now 
the  snow  was  as  hard  as  any  road  and  there 
was  no  longer  any  reason  to  delay  our  set- 
ting- forth.  And  more  especially  so  was 
this  the  case  because  my  beloved  appeared 
to  have  entirely  recovered  from  the  fever 
into  which  she  had  been  thrown  by  the 
events  of  the  past  weeks. 

"I  am  ready,  Mervan,"  she  said  to  me 
the  next  day,  "ready  to  depart,  to  leave 
forever  behind  these  lands  —  which  I  hope 
never  to  see  again — to  dwell  always  in  your 
own  country  and  near  you." 

Wherefore  I  considered  in  my  mind 
what  was  best  now  to  be  done. 

That  we  were  safe  here  in  Portugal  we 
knew  very  well  —  only  it  was  not  in  Port- 
ugal that  we  desired  to  remain,  but  rather 
to  escape  from;  to  cross  the  seas  as  soon 
as  might  be  —  to  reach  England  or  Holland. 
Yet  how  to  do  that  we  had  now  to  consider. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  423 

I  had  said  we  were  safe  here,  and  of  this 
safety  we  had  sure  proof  not  many  hours 
after  her  unhappy  father  had  departed  on 
his  unknown  journey;  a  journey  that  led 
I  knew  not  where,  no  more  than  I  knew 
what  would  be  the  end  of  it.  And  this 
proof  was  that,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day,  the  landlord  of  'the  inn  came  running 
in  to  us  as  fast  as  he  could  scamper  across 
the  already  frozen  snow;  his  face  twitching 
with  excitement,  his  voice  shaking-,  too,  from 
the  same  cause. 

" Holy  Virgin!  "  he  exclaimed,  while  he 
gesticulated  like  a  madman,  his  wife  doing 
the  same  thing-  by  his  side,  "who  and  what 
have  I  sheltered  here  in  my  house.  Pirates 
and  filibusters,  gaol  breakers  and  murder- 
ers, women  whose  vows  are  made  and 
broken  day  by  day.  'T  is  mercy  we  are 
not  all  stabbed  to  the  death  in  our  beds," 
and  again  he  grimaced  and  shook  and 
spluttered. 

"You  are  as  like,"  I  said  sternly,  with 
a  tap  to  my  sword  hilt,  "  to  be  stabbed  to 
the  death  now,  and  at  once,  if  you  explain 
not  this  intrusion  and  your  words,  fellow." 
For  he  had  roused  my  ire  by  bursting  in  on 
Juana  and  me  in  the  manner  he  had  done, 
and  by  frightening  her,  as  I  knew  by  the 


424  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

way  she  clung-  to  me.  "Answer  at  once, 
what  mean  you?  " 

"There  are  at  the  frontier,"  he  said, 
speaking-  now  more  calmly,  also  more  re- 
spectfully as  he  noted  my  attitude,  while 
his  wife  ceased  her  clamour  too,  "some  half 
dozen  Spaniards  from  Lugo,  all  demanding 
where  you  are  —  and  —  and  the  wo  —  the 
lady;  also  asking1  for  one  they  call  their 
Alcaide,  as  well  as  another,  who,  they  say, 
is  a  hundred-fold  assassin.  Likewise  they 
vow  they  will  have  you  back  to  Lugo." 

"Will  they!  Well,  we  will  see  for  that! 
Meanwhile,  what  say  the  frontiermen  on 
this  side,  here  in  Portugal?  " 

"They  dispute.  They  refuse.  They 
say  'tis  whispered  o'er  all  our  land  that 
the  king  has  joined  with  the  English  brig- 
ands   " 

"Fellow!  remember."  And  again  I 
threatened  him. 

"With  the  English  nation  against  Spain 
and  France.  It  may  be  so  or  not;  I  do  not 
know.  Yet  I  think  you  will  be  spared  to  — 
to  — slay " 

Again  he  halted  in  his  speech,  reading 
danger  in  my  glance,  while  I,  turning  to 
Juana,  bade  her  keep  calm  and  await  my  re- 
turn from  the  border,  to  which  I  meant  to 
proceed  to  see  what  was  a-happening. 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  425 

At  first  she  would  not  hear  of  my  doing 
this;  she  threw  herself  upon  my  neck,. she 
besought  me  by  our  new-born  love,  by  all 
our  hopes  of  happiness  in  days  to  come, 
not  to  go  near  those  men.  Reminded  me, 
too,  that  even  now  we  were  free  to  escape, 
to  seize  upon  the  horses,  push  on  further 
into  Portugal  and  to  safety.  Also  she 
pleaded  with  me  to  remember  that  if  aught 
happened  to  me,  if  I  was  taken  again  and 
carried  back  to  Spain,  all  hope  would  indeed 
be  'gone,  no  more  escape  possible.  Wept, 
also,  most  piteously,  and  besought  me  to 
recollect  that  if  aught  such  as  this  befell 
she  would  indeed  be  alone  in  the  world,  and 
must  die. 

Yet  I  was  firm ;  forced  myself  to  be  so. 
In  my  turn,  bade  her  remember  that  I  was 
a  soldier,  that  soldiers  could  not  skulk  and 
run  away  when  there  was  naught  to  fear. 

"For,"  I  said,  whispering  also  many 
other  words  of  love  and  comfort  in  her  ear, 
"it  maybe  true  that  the  king  has  joined 
with  us.  For  months  it  has  been  looked 
for,  expected.  And  if  't  is  not  even  so, 
these  people  hate  Spain  and  all  in  it  with  a 
deep  hatred.  They  cannot  harm  us,  cer- 
tainly no  half  dozen  can.  'T  would  take 
more  than  that.  Let  me  go,  sweetheart." 

And  gently  I  disengaged  her  arms  from 


426   ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

my  neck  and  went  away  amidst  her  prayers 
and  supplications  for  my  safety;  amidst 
also  the  mutterings  of  the  landlord  to  the 
effect  that  the  IngUs  seemed  to  fear  neither 
devil  nor  man. 

'T  was  not  many  moments  to  the  border 
'twixt  the  two  countries,  and  I  soon  was 
there  —  seeing,  however,  as  I  hurried  to- 
ward it,  to  the  priming-  of  my  pistols,  and 
that  my  sword  was  loose  enough  in  its  scab- 
bard for  easy  drawing  forth  —  and  there  I 
perceived  that  a  harangue  was  going  on  be- 
tween the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  frontier- 
men,  while,  on  the  side  of  the  former,  were 
also  the  half-dozen  Spaniards,  of  whom  the 
inn  keeper  had  spoken.  And  amongst  them 
I  recognised  two  or  three  of  those  who  had 
captured  us  in  the  inn  garden  at  Lugo. 

"  Ha  1 "  one  of  them  called  out  as  I  ap- 
proached. "Ha!  See,  there  is  one,  the 
second  of  the  brigands,  though  not  the 
worst.  Assassinator!"  he  shrieked  at  me, 
"  we  must  have  you  back  at  Lugo." 

"Best  take  me,  then,"  I  replied,  as  I 
drew  close  up,  "yet 'twill  cost  you  dear," 
and  as  I  spoke  I  whipped  my  sword  from 
out  its  scabbard. 

There  was  to  be  neither  fight  nor  at- 
tempt to  capture  me,  however  ;  in  truth,  as 
you  have  now  to  see,  my  weapon  had  done 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  427 

its  last  work  in  either  Spain  or  Portugal, 
since  the  men  on  this  side  meant  not  that 
the  Spaniards  should  have  their  way. 

"Back,  I  tell  you,"  shouted  the  Portu- 
guese chief,  "or  advance  at  your  peril. 
We  are  at  war ;  't  is  known  over  all  our 
land  the  IngUs  are  our  allies.  You  have 
come  on  a  bootless  errand." 

Now  this,  as  I  learnt  later,  was  not  the 
case  in  absolute  fact,  since  Portugal  joined 
not  with  us  till  the  next  spring  had  come, 
yet  it  served  very  well  for  my  purpose; 
for  these  Spaniards  did  doubtless  think 
that  they  would  have  got  me  —  and,  I  sup- 
pose, Juana,  too — bloodlessly,  and  have 
been  able  to  hale  us  back  to  Lugo  and  its 
accursed  brasdro.  But  now  they  found  out 
their  mistake ;  they  would  have  to  fight 
to  get  me,  and  as,  I  think,  they  feared  my 
sword  as  much  as  the  four  or  five  others  of 
my  new-found  Portuguese  friends,  they 
very  wisely  desisted  from  any  attempt. 
And  so,  after  many  angry  words  ex- 
changed on  both  sides,  in  which  I  took  no 
part,  I  went  back  to  the  inn,  feeling  sure 
that,  unless  I  ever  ventured  into  Spain 

again,  I  was  free  of  its  clutches. 

****##### 

Once  more,  a  few  hours  later,  my  love 
and  I  were  on  the  road  as  travelling  com- 


428  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

panions,  only  now  we  were  lovers  instead  of 
friends,  and  the  companionship  was,  by 
God's  mercy,  to  be  for  the  length  of  our 
lives.  And  sweet  it  was  to  me,  beyond 
all  doubt,  to  have  her  by  my  side,  to  hear 
her  soft  voice  in  my  ears,  and  to  listen  to 
the  words  of  love  that  fell  from  her  lips  — 
sweet,  too,  to  me  to  make  reply  to  them. 

For  one  thing  also  I  was  devoutly  grate- 
ful, namely,  that  I  had  not  hesitated  to  tell 
her  that  her  father  still  lived;  that  he  had 
yet,  by  heaven's  grace,  many  years  before 
him  in  which  to  expiate  his  past ;  that  he  had 
escaped  the  awful  end  to  which  he  had  been 
doomed,  and  which,  during  some  few  hours, 
she  imagined  he  had  suffered  —  devoutly 
grateful  that  I  had  done  this,  because,  now, 
the  sorrow  which  she  felt  for  the  erring 
man  was  chastened  by  the  knowledge  that 
it  was  not  too  late  for  him  to  repent  and 
obtain  pardon,  and  that  his  death,  whatever 
it  might  be,  could  scarce  be  one  of  such 
horror  as  that  from  which  he  had  escaped. 

After  some  consideration  I  had  decided 
that  'twould  be  best  we  should  make  our 
way  to  Oporto,  where  I  thought  'twas  very 
like  we  might  find  some  ship  for  either 
England  or  Holland  —  perhaps,  also,  since 
the  trade  of  that  town  with  England  is  of 
such  extreme  importance,  some  vessel  of 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  429 

war  acting  as  convoy  for  the  merchants. 
Moreover,  the  distance  was  not  great  in  so 
small  a  land  as  this,  and  by  the  chart  I 
carried  seemed  not  to  be  more  than  thirty 
or  forty  leagues,  though  to  compass  them 
we  should  have  to  pass  over  mountains  more 
than  once.  Yet  the  horses  were  fresh  —  I 
rode  now  my  own  on  which  Gramont  had 
come  and  had  then  exchanged  for  the  black 
one  on  which  I  had  escaped,  it  having  been 
prepared  for  me  ere  I  took  his  place — the 
snow  was  hard  as  iron  ;  it  was  not  much  to 
do.  And,  much  or  little,  it  had  to  be  done. 
And  so  we  progressed,  passing  through 
Mirandella  and  Murca,  striking  at  last  a 
broad  high  road  that  ran  straight  for  Oporto 
—  scaling  mountains  sometimes,  plunging 
sometimes  into  deep  valleys  and  crossing 
streams  over  shaking  wooden  bridges  that 
by  their  appearance  seemed  scarce  strong 
enough  to  bear  a  child,  yet  over  which  we 
got  in  safety.  And,  though  neither  she  nor 
I  spoke  our  thoughts,  I  think,  I  know,  that 
the  same  idea  was  ever  present  to  her  mind 
as  to  mine,  the  idea  that  we  might  ere  long 
come  upon  some  sign  of  her  father.  For, 
now  and  again,  as  she  peered  down  upon  the 
white  track  we  followed,  losing  more  than 
once  the  road,  yet  finding  it  again  ere  long, 
she  would  rein  in  the  jennet  and  look  at  the 


430  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tracks  frozen  in  the  snow,  then  shake  her 
head  mournfully  as  we  went  on  once  more. 

But  of  Gramont  we  saw  no  sign  —  nor 
ever  saw  him  again  in  this  world. 

Going  on  and  on,  however,  we  drew  near 
as  I  judged,  to  the  coast,  still  climbing  the 
mountains  and  still  passing  at  other  times 
through  the  valleys,  over  all  of  which  there 
lay  the  vast  white  pall  burying  everything 
beneath  it. 

We  heard  also  the  great  river  that  is 
called  the  Douro,  rolling  and  humming  and 
swirling  beneath  the  roof  of  frozen  snow 
which,  in  some  places,  stretched  across  it 
from  bank  to  bank.  In  some  places,  too, 
where  the  road  we  traversed  approached 
nearer  to  the  stream,  we  saw  it  cleaving  its 
way  through  banks  so  narrowed  by  their 
coating  of  ice  that  it  o'erleapt  and  foamed 
above  the  sides,  while  with  a  great  swish, 
such  as  a  huge  tide  makes  upon  a  shingly 
beach,  its  waters  spread  out  with  a  hissing 
splash  from  their  eddies  and  swept  over 
the  borders  on  either  side.  Yet,  because 
the  way  this  river  rushed  was  likewise  our 
way  to  peace  and  happiness  —  the  road 
toward  the  great  sea  we  hoped  so  soon  to 
traverse  —  we  regarded  it  with  interest. 

"See,"  I  said  to  Juana,  as  now  we  rode 
close  to  it,  so  that  at  this  time  our  horses' 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  431 

feet  were  laved  by  its  overflow,  "see  how  it 
bears  down  with  it  great  trees  from  far  in- 
land, from  where  we  have  come;  also 
other  things,  the  wooden  roof  of  some  peas- 
ant's hut,  some  household  goods  too.  I  fear 
it  has  swept  over  the  country,  has  burst  in 
places  from  its  narrow  frost-bound  sides." 

'Twas  true — such  must  have  happened 
—  for  even  as  I  spoke,  there  went  by  the 
body  of  a  horse  —  the  creature's  sides  all 
torn  and  lacerated,  doubtless  by  some  nar- 
row passage  in  which  the  spears  of  ice 
would  be  as  sharp  as  swords'  points;  then, 
next  —  oh!  piteous  sight!  —  a  little  dead 
babe  rolled  over  and  over  as  the  waves  bore 
it  along  in  their  swift  flight. 

"Look,  look,"  she  murmured,  pointing 
forward  to  where  the  river  broadened,  but 
out  into  the  breadth  of  which  there  pro- 
jected a  spur,  or  tongue  of  land;  "look! 
that  catches  much  of  what  comes  down  — 
see !  the  dead  horse's  progress  is  stopped 
upon  it — and  Mervan,  the  little  babe  is  also 
rolled  on  to  that  slip  of  land  while  there  are 
many  other  things  besides;  more  bodies  of 
both  men  and  animals." 

There  were,  in  solemn  truth.  As  we  rode 
nearer  to  that  jutting  promontory,  we  saw 
that  much  of  what  the  Douro  had  brought 
down  was  stopped  by  it;  upon  the  frozen 


432  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tongue  of  land  protruding-  were  mixed  in 
confusion  many  thing's.  The  dead  horse 
and  another  which  had  preceded  it;  some 
poor  sheep,  a  dog,  the  little  babe  which  had 
just  passed  before  our  eyes,  and  two  or 
three  dead  men;  some  on  their  backs,  their 
arms  extended  on  that  frozen  refuge  —  one 
on  his  face. 

Mostly  they  were  peasants  ;  their  garb 
told  that,  also  their  rough,  coarse  hands, 
•which  showed  black  against  the  leper  white- 
ness of  the  ice  and  snow  beneath  them.  But 
he  who  lay  upon  his  face  was  none  such,  his 
scarlet  coat,  guarded  with  galloon,  had  never 
graced  a  peasant's  back,  no  more  than  any 
peasant  had  worn  that  sword  (with  now 
both  blade  and  scabbard  broken)  that  was 
by  his  side. 

And  halting  upon  the  little  ridge  which 
made  the  summit  of  that  promontory  and 
gazing  upon  that  man,  I  knew  as  well  as  if  I 
could  see  his  down-turned  face,  whose  body 
it  was  stretched  out  there  upon  its  icy  bier. 

Also  I  saw  that  she  knew,  too.  Neither 
scarlet  coat  nor  battered  weapon  was 
strange  to  her. 

"I  will  descend,"  I  said,  speaking  in  a 
low  voice,  such  as  those  assume  who  stand 
in  presence  of  the  dead.  "  I  will  descend 
and  make  sure,"  whereupon  she  bowed  her 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  433 

head  in  reply,  making-  no  demur.  At 
that  moment  she,  perhaps,  thought  it  best 
to  make  sure  that  he  who  had  sought  her 
soul's  degradation  would  never  traffic  with 
another  woman's  honour. 

But  as  I  went  down  on  foot  now  to  that 
tongfue  of  land  on  which  the  drowned  re- 
posed, I  had  another  reason  besides  this  of 
making-  sure  that  the  body  was  that  of  her 
tempter,  the  Alcaide.  I  desired  to  discover 
if  't  was  by  the  river  alone  that  he  had  come 
to  his  death  (borne  down  and  into  it  by  some 
streamlet  nearer  the  Spanish  border),  and 
not  by  the  avenging1  weapon  of  him  who  said 
that  I  should  never  have  spared  him,  have 
never  let  -him  quit  my  side  with  life. 
For  they  might  have  met,  I  knew  ;  the  one 
who  went  first  might  have  been  belated  on 
his  road  —  snowbound  ;  the  second  might 
have  overtaken  him,  his  vengeance  have 
been  swift  and  sure. 

Stepping  across  the  bodies  of  the 
drowned  animals,  avoiding  those  of  the  peas- 
ants, and  putting  gently  aside  that  of  the 
little  babe,  I  reached  him,  recognising  as  I 
did  so  the  coal  black  hair  flecked  and 
streaked  with  grey,  the  rings  upon  the 
hands  stretched  out,  backs  upward.  Then  I 
turned  him  over,  seeing  that  the  face  was 
torn  and  cut  by  the  jagged  ice  through 


434  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

which  he  had  been  hurried,  also  bruised 
and  discoloured.  But  in  all  the  body  no 
sign  of  rapier  wound,  nor  pistol  shot,  nor  of 
avenging-  finger  marks  upon  the  throat. 

So  I  went  back  to  her  and  took  my  reins 
from  her  hands  and  once  more  we  set  out 
upon  our  way. 

But  the  dark,  lustrous  eyes  .as  they 
gazed  into  mine  asked  silent  and  unworded 
questions  —  so  that  I  guessed  my  thoughts 
had  been  in  her  mind,  too!  —  and  when  I 
answered  with  as  equal  a  silence  I  knew 
that  I  had  brought  comfort  to  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE    END. 

The  early  part  of  September,  1704,  had 
been  stormy  and  wet  and  very  dismal,  so 
that  all  in  London  feared  that  the  great 
spectacle,  which  had  been  arranged  with 
much  pains  and  forethought  for  the  seventh 
of  that  month,  must  be  impaired  if  not  to  tally 
ruined  by  the  inclemency  of  the  weather. 
And  many  there  were  who,  during-  the 
night  that  passed  away  and  when  the 
dawn  came,  rose  from  their  beds  to  peer 
out  and  see  what  the  day  promised. 

Yet  by  great  good  fortune  none  were 
doomed  to  disappointment.  For  from  away 
over  the  river,  down  by  where  the  great 
ships  were  all  a-lying  dressed  with  flags, 
the  sun  came  up  in  great  magnificence  and 
splendour;  the  clouds  turned  from  purple 
to  a  fair  pure  daffodil;  a  sweeter  autumn 
morning  none  had  ever  seen  nor  could  hope 
to  see. 

And  now  from  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing the  crowd  came  in  from  far  and  wide, 
from  north  and  south  and  east  and  west, 

435 


436  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

from  the  villages  along  the  river  as  far 
away  as  sylvan  Richmond  on  one  side,  or 
Hampstead  on  another;  while  the  gentry 
drove  in  from  their  country  seats  at  Clap- 
ham  or  Kensington  and  on  the  road  that 
leads  to  Fulham.  Also  those  regiments  at 
Hounslow,  and  the  foot  guards  at  Kensing- 
ton, as  well  as  the  city  militia  from  the 
east  side,  were  all  making  their  way  into 
the  town,  with  drums  a-beating  and  flags 
streaming  out  to  the  fresh  morning  air  and 
trumpets  braying,  while  in  the  city  itself 
my  Lord  Mayor  was  getting  ready  to  pro- 
ceed to  Temple  Bar,  there  to  receive  the 
queen  and  court. 

For  this  day,  the  seventh  of  September, 
had  been  fixed  for  the  thanksgiving  for  the 
victory  of  Blenheim  which  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough  had  recently  won.  The  pity 
only  being  that,  of  those  who  were  to  take 
part  in  the  great  ceremony,  my  Lord  Duke 
could  not  be  there,  he  being  still  engaged 
on  the  Continent. 

Nevertheless,  from  St.  James'  there  set 
out  so  great  a  company  for  St.  Paul's  that 
't  is  never  likely  any  one  then  alive  could 
expect  to  witness  a  more  noble  and  impos- 
ing sight.  For  there  were  all  the  great 
officers  of  state,  with,  amidst  them,  the 
queen  in  a  sumptuous  coach  drawn  by  eight 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  437 

horses,  Her  Majesty  being  ablaze  with 
jewels.  Alone  she  went  in  that  coach  ex- 
cepting one  companion,  a  lady  dressed  as 
quietly  and  simply  as  could  be  any  lady  in 
the  land,  there  being  neither  at  neck  or 
bosom  or  throat,  or  in  her  hair,  any  single 
trinket  to  be  seen. 

Yet,  I  think,  she  was  that  day  the 
proudest  woman  in  all  England,  not  even 
excepting  great  Anna,  since  she  was  the 
wife  of  the  conqueror  who  had  trampled 
Louis  and  his  armies  under  foot ;  was 
Sarah,  Duchess  of  Marlborough.  Could 
any  female  heart  have  desired  to  be  more  ! 

In  front  of,  as  well  as  behind,  and  on 
either  side  of  that  chariot  of  state,  there 
rode  the  Queen's  Guards ;  yet  ahead  of 
those  who  rode  behind  —  he  being  nearest 
to  the  back  of  the  carriage  —  was  one  who 
yielded  to  none  in  thankfulness  and  grati- 
tude for  all  which  Providence  had  seen  fit 
to  do  for  him.  An  officer  this,  one  handed, 
his  left  arm  bound  up  —  it  having  been 
nearly  lopped  off  at  Blenheim  by  one  of  the 
Elector  of  Bavaria's  huge  dragoons,  whom 
that  officer  slew  a  moment  later  with  his 
right  hand  —  whose  scarf,  sword  knot, 
richly  laced  scarlet  coat  and  gold  cockade 
proclaimed  him  a  colonel  of  horse  —  myself. 

From  where  we  entered  the  Strand  — 


438  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

by  the  cross  set  up  here  —  we  saw  that  all 
the  shops  were  boarded  up  and  scaffolded, 
partly  to  resist  the  crowd  and  partly  to 
furnish  benches  on  which  sight-seers  might 
sit.  On  those  benches,  also  in  the  shop 
windows,  on  the  bulks  and  at  the  windows 
of  the  tradesmen's  parlours  above,  was  a 
noble  and  splendid  company,  the  ladies  of 
which  had  all  adorned  themselves  with 
their  choicest  dresses  and  ribbons  and 
laces,  the  more  to  do  honour  to  those  other 
two  ladies  in  the  great  coach.  Then,  be- 
hind, came  the  lords  of  Parliament  and 
the  gentlemen  of  the  Commons,  also  the 
Bishops  in  their  wigs  and  lawn  —  each  and 
all  in  coaches  drawn  by  six  horses  —  as 
well  as  many  others  of  the  nobility  ;  while 
from  the  churches  along  the  route,  St.  Mar- 
tin's-in-the-Fields,  St.  Mary's  in  the  Strand 
and  St.  Clement's  Danes,  the  bells  clashed 
and  clanged,  and,  inside,  the  organs  blew 
and  anthems  pealed. 

At  Temple  Bar  there  was  a  great  halt, 
since  the  gates  were  shut,  yet  opened  as 
the  queen  came  to  them,  whereon  my  Lord 
Mayor,  surrounded  by  the  aldermen  and 
sheriffs,  in  their  red  robes  and  on  horses 
richly  caparisoned,  received  Her  Majesty, 
the  former  handing  to  her  the  sword  of 
the  city,  which  she  at  once  returned  ;  after 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  439 

which  we  progressed  once  more  toward  St. 
Paul's,  where,  later,  the  dean  preached  a 
moving-  sermon. 

And  now  my  eyes  were  fixed  and 
searching1  for  a  face  —  two  faces  —  at  a 
window  beyond  the  Church  of  St.  Dun- 
stan's  in  Fleet  street — which  was  all  hung 
with  banners  and  adornments  stretched 
across  from  side  to  side  —  and  presently 
I  saw  that  which  I  sought  for  —  a  lady  on 
a  balcony  holding-  up  a  little  wee  child  in 
her  arms,  a  lady  dark  and  beautiful  and 
dressed  all  in  her  best,  her  robe  a  rich  bro- 
cade, with,  at  her  breast,  a  knot  of  ribbons, 
the  colours  of  the  Fourth  Horse  —  the 
woman  who  has  ever  been  in  my  eyes  the 
fairest,  most  lovely  of  her  sex,  my  loved 
and  honoured  wife.  And  she  stood  there 
seeking  for  me,  leaning  over  the  balcony  to 
wave  and  kiss  her  hand,  took,  also,  our 
babe's  little  one  in  her  arms  and  caused  it 
to  wave,  too. 

Riding  by,  I  looked  up  and  saw  them,  and 
blessed  God  —  blessed  God  and  praised  His 
name,  because  He  had  seen  fit  to  bring  us 
safe  through  all  the  dangers  we  had  en- 
countered together,  because  He  had  seen  fit 
to  give  to  me  for  wife  the  sweetest  woman 
the  world  held,  and  to  bring  us  safe  into 
haven  at  last. 


440  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

For  that,  as  well  as  all  else,  I  blessed  and 
praised  His  name,  even  as  from  roofs  of 
houses  and  taverns  the  salvos  roared  forth, 
the  bells  pealed  from  the  steeples,  and  we 
progressed  through  the  city ;  companies 
ranged  'neath  their  banners,  and,  between 
the  lines  kept  by  the  militia,  the  queen 
bowing  from  her  side  of  the  coach,  the 
great,  stately  duchess  from  hers,  the  people 
shouting  all  the  time,  and  crying  but  two 
names,  "Anne"  and  " Maryborough,"  and 
women  holding  up  their  children,  so  that, 
in  the  days  to  come,  when  those  chil- 
dren were  old,  they  might  say  they  had 
gazed  on  the  wife  of  the  greatest  soldier 
in  the  world.  And  thus,  at  last,  we  came 
to  St.  Paul's  and  gave  thanksgiving. 

It  was  when  night  had  fallen  after  Blen- 
heim that  my  Lord  Duke  sent  for  me  to  his 
room  in  the  inn,  where  he  and  the  Marshal 
Tallard  — who  had  led  the  French,  and  been 
defeated  that  day,  and  was  now  an  honoured 
and  well-cared-for  prisoner  of  his  Grace  — 
were  quartered,  and  spoke  to  me  as  follows : 

"Colonel  Crespin  —  for  such  you  will  be 
when  the  next  gazette  is  published  —  if  it 
were  not  that  others  have  a  prior  claim,  it 
should  be  you  to  whom  I  would  confide  my 
message  to  the  queen  and  lords.  For," 
and  he  smiled  sweetly,  as  usual,  though, 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  441 

tonight,  a  little  wearily,  "I  have  a  recol- 
lection of  your  value  as  a  bearer  of  des- 
patches ;  yet,  all  the  same,  you  shall  go  to 
England.  You  have  a  wife  and  child  there, 
I  know." 

And  again  he  smiled  as  I  bowed  before 
him. 

"  For  which  you  have  to  thank  me.  By 
St.  George,  I  never  thought  when  I  sent 
you  on  that  journey  you  were  going  sweet- 
heart hunting,  too." 

Whereby  you  will  perceive  that  his 
Grace  knew  very  well  all  that  had  befallen 
me  two  years  before,  when  I  set  out  for 
Spain  to  find,  if  might  be,  the  English  fleet. 
It  would  be  strange,  indeed,  if  he  had  not 
known  it,  for  my  story  had  been  told  all  over 
the  forces  from  the  moment  I  returned  and 
joined  my  regiment ;  nay,  more  than  once, 
I  had  told  it  to  Marlborough  himself. 

"  I  shall  not  be  far  behind  you,"  he  con- 
tinued, "the  New  Year  should  see  me  home, 
too.  Yet  I  have  messages  for  the  queen 
and  my  own  wife.  You  shall  bear  them. 
It  will  give  you  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
your  own  wife.  She  is,  I  hear,  vastly  beau- 
tiful." 

"In  my  eyes,  my  lord  Duke,  the  most 
beautiful  woman  in  the  world." 

"  That  is  as  it  shpuld  be.    So,"  he  con- 


442  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tinued  simply,  "  I  think  of  mine.  But,  also, 
you  must  see  the  queen.  She  has  heard  of 
your  adventures,  wishes  she  had  seen  you 
when  you  were  on  leave  in  England.  Tell 
her  all  —  tell  her  as  bravely  in  words  as  you 
can  be  brave  in  action  —  and  you  will  not 
stop  at  the  command  of  a  regiment  of  horse. 
See  also  my  wife ;  her  influence  is  ex- 
treme — our  enemies  say  't  is  a  bad  influence 
—  yet  she  will  help  you." 

And  I  did  see  the  queen  on  my  arrival  in 
England,  also  the  great  duchess,  Sarah,  on 
the  night  before  we  went  to  St.  Paul's; 
after  which  I  wondered  no  more  how  every 
one  loved  the  former,  spoke  of  her,  indeed, 
as  the  "Good  "  Queen  —  a  title,  I  think,  as 
dear  and  precious  as  that  of  "  Great, "  which 
Elizabeth  had  worn.  She  was  very  ruddy, 
I  noticed  when  I  stood  before  her,  her  beau- 
tiful red-brown  hair  bound  most  matronly 
above  her  brow,  while  her  arms  —  which 
were  bare,  to  show,  as  I  have  heard,  their 
extreme  beauty  —  were  most  marvellous  to 
behold,  as  well  as  her  hands.  Yet,  queen 
as  she  was,  and  a  well  favoured  one,  too,  it 
was  more  on  the  other  lady  who  stood  be- 
hind her  that  my  eyes  rested  ;  for  she  was 
beautiful  beyond  all  I  had  imagined,  so  that 
I  wondered  not  that  report  said  the  duke 
loved  her  as  fondly  as  when  they  were  boy 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  443 

and  girl  together,  she  only  a  maid  of  honour, 
and  he  an  ensign.  Yet,  also,  I  thought  that 
beauty  marred  by  an  imperious  haughtiness 
which  made  her  seem  the  queen  and  the 
real  queen  seem  her  subject. 

"So,  Colonel  Crespin," Her  Majesty  said 
to  me,  "I  set  eyes  on  you  at  last  —  you  of 
whom  I  have  heard  so  much.  Well,  I  am 
vastly  proud  to  know  so  brave  a  gentleman. 
Later,  I  must  also  know  your  wife  —  whom 
I  hear  you  wooed  and  won  in  a  strange 
fashion."  Then  changing-  the  subject 
swiftly,  while  her  kindly  eyes  rested  on 
me,  she  said:  "Your  father  must  be  very 
proud  of  you." 

Not  knowing  what  reply  to  make  to 
such  a  compliment,  I  could  but  bow  again, 
whereon  she  continued : 

"Your  arm  is  bound  up,  I  see  —  I  hear 
you  got  the  wound  at  Blenheim.  'T  is 
very  well.  In  after  years  it  will  be  as  great 
a  distinction  to  have  had  that  wound  as  any 
honours  or  titles  that  may  come  to  you.  It 
does  not  prevent  your  riding?  " 

I  murmured  that  it  inconvenienced  me 
but  very  little,  whereon  Her  Majesty  said: 

"  That  is  also  well.  To-morrow  I  desire 
you  follow  my  coach  to  St.  Paul's.  I  love 
my  people  to  see  those  who  have  served  me 
bravely,"  whereon,  with  a  gracious  inclina.- 


444  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

tion  of  her  head,  accompanied  by  a  sweet 
smile  upon  her  honest,  kindly  face,  she 
turned  and  left  the  apartment,  the  duchess 
bowing  too,  though  somewhat  more  haugh- 
tily than  the  queen  had  done.  Yet  she 
whispered  a  word  in  my  ear  as  she  passed 
out ;  a  word  appropriate  enough  to  one  as 
proud  as  she. 

"  You  have  served  him  well,"  she  said. 
"  Those  who  do  that  .are  my  friends  for- 
ever." 

And  now  the  rejoicings  for  our  victory 
at  Blenheim  were  over  —  the  siege  and 
taking-  of  Gibraltar  three  weeks  before, 
by  my  other  friend,  Sir  George  Rooke, 
being  not  forgotten  —  the  crowds  had  dis- 
persed, the  great  banquet  to  be  given  by 
the  city  was  near  at  hand  and  the  illumina- 
tions of  London  were  beginning. 

Yet  I  had  no  desire  to  be  feasting  in  the 
midst  of  that  great  company  —  instead,  I 
was  seated  in  the  room  from  the  balcony  of 
which  I  had  seen  my  wife  that  morning; 
her  head  upon  my  shoulder,  her  lips  mur- 
muring words  of  love  inexpressible  in  my 
ear;  words  in  which,  amongst  the  rest,  I 
caught  those  that  told  me  how  proud  she 
was  to  have  won  me  from  all  other  women, 
how  proud  and  happy  in  knowing  that  we 

were  each  other's  forever  in  this  world. 
********** 


ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS.  445 

What  need  to  set  down  more  —  what 
more  have  I  to  say? 

Only  this.  That  never  would  she  hear 
of  redeeming-  any  of  that  second  fortune 
which  her  unhappy  father  had  left  in  the 
custody  of  the  priest  in  the  Indies  who  had 
once  been  as  he  himself  was;  and  conse- 
quently, that  from  the  time  we  became  man 
and  wife  no  further  intercourse  was  ever 
held  between  us  and  those  far-off  islands 
from  which  she  came.  Nor  was  that  for- 
tune wanted —  God  has  ever  been  good  to 
us;  -I  have  prospered  exceedingly  in  my 
soldier's  calling ;  all  is  very  well. 

Of  him,  Gramont,  we  have  never  heard 
more.  Yet  that,  somewhere,  he  is,  if  still 
alive,  expiating  his  past  I  have  never 
doubted.  The  truth  was  in  the  man's  eyes 
as  he  spoke  to  me  on  that  morning  when  he 
went  forth  broken-hearted  from  the  house 
which  held  his  child  ;  the  truth,  and  a  firm 
determination  to  atone  by  suffering  and 
hardship  for  all  that  he  had  done.  And 
what  stronger  or  more  stern  resolve  could 
any  sinner  have  taken  than  that  of  his? 
The  determination  to  tear  himself  away  for- 
ever from  the  companionship  of  his  newly 
found  daughter,  and  to  remove  thereby 
from  her  forever  the  shame  of  his  presence. 
"  Come,  Mervan,"  she  said  to  me,  as  now 


446  ACROSS  THE  SALT  SEAS. 

the  autumn  evening  turned  to  night,  and 
from  every  house  in  Fleet  street  the  illumi- 
nations began  to  glisten.  "  Come,  you  must 
prepare  for  the  city  banquet." 

"Nay,"  I  said,  "nay.  I  need  no  ban- 
quets, would  prefer  to  stay  here  by  your 
side." 

"And  so  I  would  you  should  do.  Yet 
you  must  go.  I  will  not  have  you  absent 
from  so  great  a  thing.  You  !  my  hero — my 
king.  And  while  you  are  gone  I  will  watch 
over  our  child,  or  solace  myself  with  this." 

And  as  she  spoke  she  went  over  to  where 
the  spinet  was,  and  touched  a  smaller  in- 
strument that  lay  upon  it  —  the  little  viol 
d'amore  from  which  we  have  never  parted, 
and  never  will. 

THE  END. 


PRINTED    BY     STROM  BERG,    ALLEN    ft    CO 

FOR 

HERBERT   S.   STONE   &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 

CHICAGO 

18»7 


